Spirits of the Past
by sakuraphoenix
Summary: Karen Tsukimori, a girl with the ability to see ghosts, has been living with her uncle and aunt ever since her mother and father passed away. However, her very existence ties to a Soul Reaper's death 100 years before. Full Summary on profile
1. The Day the Legend Began

Chapter 1: The Day the Legend Began

_**Howdy y'all! I know, big surprise, you didn't expect to see me update a new story when I have a bunch of other ones in progress right now, right? Well, let's just say… ah to hell with the formalities, you know that urge when you have this ah-mazing story to type, well, THAT'S WHAT'S GOING ON HERE! Sorry about that, I'm a big Bleach fan. Anyhow, let's move onto the disclaimer, shall we?**_

_**Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach nor Shizuku. Credit goes to LyokoWarrior1994, who is also working with me on this fanfic.**_

_**Who is Shizuku you might ask? You're gonna find out! Begins in third person, and enjoy!**_

_We fear what we cannot see, as we fear what we cannot hear. But we do not fear what we can feel, so what can we truly fear? These were the words of a Soul Reaper from 100 years past. A Soul Reaper, who died in the line of duty, protecting the Soul Society. A boy with brown hair and blue eyes was standing on top of a lamppost. He was 6 foot 5 and a half feet tall, and wore the Black Shihakusho that all Soul Reapers wear. His Zanpakuto's tsuba was in the shape of two wings._

"I can sense strong spirit energy close by." Said the Soul Reaper

_And so fell the sword of fate._

_Karen's P.O.V._

"You got a death wish girly? Nobody jumps one of my boys for no reason! You better have something to say for yourself!" exclaimed the boy in front of me

"*Yawn*." I yawned

"That's all you've got to say? I'll show…" started the boy

_I then socked him in the face. I then proceeded to kick him into the asphalt._

"Weasel's down!" exclaimed one of his thugs

"We gotta help him!" exclaimed a second

"No way am I going near that psycho." Said a third

_I then got him down into the asphalt like I wanted._

"Now listen up you pond scum! You see that?" I exclaimed

_I was pointing to a knocked over glass bottle with flowers._

"Question one, just what do you think that is? You! Guy in the middle! Answer it!" I exclaimed

"W-who? Me? Um, I guess someone left those flowers for some kid who died here." Said the second thug

"Correct!" I exclaimed as I punched his lights out

"Hey! Take it easy!" exclaimed the first guy

"Now the next question. That vase, why is it lying on its side?" I asked

"Um… I guess we knocked it over when we skated through." Said the third guy

_I then pummeled them to the ground._

"You catch on quick, don't you? Now go otherwise next time the flowers will be for you!" I exclaimed

_They had screamed and all four of them ran away with their tails in between their legs._

"Did I really scare them that bad? I guess that they won't show their ugly faces around here for a while." I said

_A female ghost that appeared to be in her eighties appeared._

"Hey, sorry about the noise. I'll bring some new flowers for you tomorrow before I head for class." I said

"Thank you for your kindness. I suppose now I can rest in peace." Said the ghost

_I then placed the vase upright._

"Don't mention it, after all, you deserve to rest in peace." I said as the ghost disappeared

_My name is Karen Tsukimori. I'm 15 years old, so I'm a high school student. I have long purple hair that's in ringlets with pink highlights. I also have heterochromia, which means my eye color is two different colors. I have one pink eye and one purple eye. Now, for as long as I can remember, I've been able to hear and see ghosts. A few years ago, I used to be blind, but I somehow was able to see again. I'm not completely sure myself, but I used the ability that I had, the ghost seeing part at least, to see in a different way. My parents are dead, so I live with my aunt and uncle._

"I'm home." I said

_I then got kicked in the face, no thanks to my weird uncle_

"You dropped your guard. And you're late." Said my uncle

"Oh come on! I just helped a spirit find peace! And on another note, having a 5:30 curfew is so not cool!" I exclaimed

"Oh, so it's the ghost's fault now, right? Well I suppose it was ghosts who made your room a disaster zone! Just because you can see ghosts and I can't doesn't mean you should use it as an excuse every time!" exclaimed my uncle

"Stop it you two!" exclaimed my aunt

_I then managed to kick my uncle into the wall. Good thing he had a hard head._

"I don't know how your parents raised you, but you honestly need to learn some manners! I am sick and tired of your little excuses!" I exclaimed

"Karen, you have another one." Said my aunt

_More like the same one! This pest has been bothering me for the past week!_

"How long have you been there, huh? Beat it! Scram! Get out of here you stupid pest! Aunt Homura, I'm not hungry, so I'll be in my room. See ya." I said

"Looks like you've done it again Kazuki." Said my aunt

"Me? What did I do?" exclaimed my uncle

_I had enough of this. Good thing I stayed after to finish my homework._

_The next morning…_

"The incident occurred just outside of Karakura Station just after 7:30 AM as the morning commute was getting into full swing. Witnesses reported hearing a loud crash and feeling the ground shake beneath their feet. The entire area has been courted off." Said the news anchor

"Good morning Aunt Homura." I said

"Your uncle is in an early meeting and should be back around 6:30 tonight." Said my aunt

"Again? Huh?" I wondered as I saw something on the screen

"What is it?" asked my aunt

"Aunt Homura, do you see something strange on the screen?" I asked

"Um, no nothing. Why?" asked my aunt

"No reason." I said

_What was that figure I saw? I ran out of the house and bought some flowers for the ghost I helped yesterday. I had run out of the house so fast that I almost forgot to put on my gloves to cover the birthmark on my right hand._

"Hello? Are you here?" I asked

_She must've crossed over. I placed the flowers down on the ground, but before I went on my way, I hear some kind of roar. My legs then began moving by themselves, as if I knew what was going on. It was another explosion, but this time, there was some kind of monster in a white mask, two of them to boot!_

"What the… what the hell is that thing?" I exclaimed

"Help me!" exclaimed an elderly female voice

_It was the ghost I helped yesterday_

"Come on!" I exclaimed

"What is that thing?" asked the ghost

"I don't know! I've never seen anything like it before!" I exclaimed

'_But you have. Remember Sakura._'

_Sakura? That's not my name. Just then, the woman tripped._

"Come on! We have to get out of here!" I exclaimed

_Just then, a black butterfly appeared in my face and a boy with brown hair drew a katana and sliced the monster in half. Before anything else could happen, he ran away._

'_That boy is a Soul Reaper, just like you Sakura. Please, remember who you are._'

_Soul Reaper? Remember who I am? What are you talking about?_

_Third Person P.O.V._

_As Karen began to walk away, the boy began talking to himself in the shadows._

"That girl, her spirit ribbon was red a moment ago, but now it's white. What could this mean?" wondered the boy

_Karen's P.O.V._

_That evening…_

"Man, what a weird day. I've been hearing voices too. Maybe I have a brain tumor. I'll head over to Ichigo's place tomorrow after school. At least his dad has a reliable MRI scanner." I said

_Just then, the black butterfly from earlier appeared, and the boy from the streets appeared._

"What are you doing here?" I asked

_He then drew his sword._

"Whoa, take it easy! You ain't slicin' me up with that thing!" I exclaimed

_He then stepped onto the ground_

"Hey! You listening to me?" I exclaimed

_It appeared that he was sensing something_

"I can feel it." Said the boy

_I then kicked him in the place where the sun doesn't shine, for boys that is._

"Now what the hell do you think you're doing?" I exclaimed

_He doubled over in pain as I turned the lights on._

"If you think you're a burglar, you're not a very good one, ya hear me? You really shouldn't talk to yourself!" I exclaimed

"You kicked me. I can't be seen by ordinary humans. Are you saying you can see me?" asked the boy while he was in pain

"Well, considering that was my foot I used you-know-where, oh yeah, I can see you." I said

"You were the girl I saw earlier, the one with the strange spirit ribbon." Said the boy

"Spirit what?" I wondered

"How very strange. You look normal, but you must be defective in some way." Said the boy

"I'll show you defective punk!" I exclaimed

_I tried to punch his lights out, but he outmaneuvered me._

"Who are you?" I asked

"You want to know? Then I'll tell you. I'm a Soul Reaper." Said the boy

_One long-winded explanation later…_

"Alright, so you're telling me you're something called a Soul Reaper." I said

"Mm-hmm." Replied the boy

"And you're telling me that you were sent here on a mission by this group called the Soul Society." I said

_He nodded his head._

"To deal with demons like the one I saw on the street today." I said

"Mm-hmm." Replied the boy

"Which was chasing after that woman's soul." I said

_He nodded his head._

"That's all believable and stuff… ALONG WITH FLYING PIGS AND THE TOOTH FAIRY!" I exclaimed

"How dare you. Why wouldn't you believe in Soul Reapers when you just admitted when you can see spirits?" asked the boy

"I've never seen or heard of Soul Reapers before in my life, and this story is just too far-fetched. I don't believe in anything that I can't see or explain." I said

"Well, you see me, don't you?" asked the boy

"Well, that's true and I'd agree with the fact that you're not human, but why don't you go and play Soul Reaper somewhere else kid. Now run along." I said

"Oh, so I'm a kid now, huh? Bakudo number 1. Sai!" exclaimed the boy

_My hands suddenly put themselves behind my back, and I was paralyzed._

"What the? What did you do to me?" I exclaimed

"Paralysis. I've used what's called a Kido on you. It's a high level incantation only we Soul Reapers can use. It's useless to struggle against it, unless you want your soul to be permanently damaged. I may appear young to you, but I have lived at least 10 of your lifetimes. I would kill you on the spot for your insolence if it were not against my orders, so you little kid be grateful." Said the boy

"That's some nerve you got. Do you talk to your parents that way?" I asked

"And now…" started the boy

_He drew his sword, and I expected to feel an impact, but instead, I felt nothing, and then I heard someone say 'oh'. When I turned my head to look, it was the ghost that was harassing me for the past week!_

"No! Please don't. I don't want to be sent to the underworld." Said the ghost

"You needn't worry, because you are bound for a better place. The Soul Society. There, your soul will be at peace." Said the boy

_No sooner than he had put the hilt of his sword on the ghost's forehead, the ghost disappeared._

"What in the world did you just do?" I asked

"I sent his spirit to the Soul Society. It's one of the main responsibilities of a Soul Reaper. People here sometimes call it passing on. Now I'll explain to you why I'm here and I'll use small words so you can understand human. There are two types of spirits in this world. The first kind are the normal spirits called Wholes. The ghosts you see are usually this kind. The second kind are evil spirits known as hollows. The Hollows attack people living or dead in order to devour their souls. Any questions before I go on?" asked the boy

"No, not really, but I somehow get the feeling I know what you're going to explain next." I said

"Then let us continue with the lesson mademoiselle. There are two main jobs for Soul Reapers. First, to lead Wholes to the Soul Society through Konso, as I just did. Second, to exorcise the Hollows wherever we find them." Said the boy

"Like that Hollow we saw earlier! But why was it chasing that old woman's soul?" I asked

"I don't know. We still don't know what motivates Hollows." Said the boy

_I then heard a roar of a Hollow, and this one was close!_

"One thing we do know, there are still two more Hollows out there." Said the boy

"Then go after it dammit! I just heard one! It's close by!" I exclaimed

"What? You heard it?" asked the boy

_It roared again._

"Now I hear it. Definitely a Hollow." Said the boy

"Gee whiz Captain Obvious, what gave that away?" I asked

"AH!" screamed a female voice

"Aunt Homura!" I exclaimed

_He then ran to the door._

"Hey! Wait, you gotta undo whatever you called it!" I exclaimed

"Karen…" groaned a male voice

"Uncle Kazuki!" I exclaimed

"Please, save Homura. I don't know what got her, but please, you have to help her." Said my uncle

_The boy then ran downstairs_

"Hey! Wait! Dammit, I have to break free of this!" I exclaimed

_I struggled to get up, but seeing that I could move again, I knew that was something. I then crashed downstairs, which hurt a lot._

"Stay out of this!" exclaimed the boy

"As if! That's my aunt that Hollow's holding!" I exclaimed

_I then tried to break his hold on me._

"How can she be on her feet when she's under my spell?" wondered the boy

"Aunt Homura!" I exclaimed

_That was what compelled me to break the spell, and soon enough, I did it. I then picked up one of Aunt Homura's Kendo swords. I swung it at the Hollow's arm that was holding Aunt Homura, and sliced it off. What surprised me was the fact that I was holding it perfectly, and yet, I never picked up a sword before, and it also, felt familiar, so nostalgic to be holding it._

"I found you Soul Reaper." Said the Hollow

"Soul Reaper?" I wondered

_I dashed out of the way of his attack. But I wasn't a Soul Reaper. Why would this Hollow mistake me for one? It then retreated to who-knows-where._

"Aunt Homura!" I exclaimed

"Nice swordsmanship there. You'd make a great Soul Reaper. How long have you been taking lessons?" asked the boy

"This is my first time picking up a sword. I've never held one before in my life." I said

"But now I understand why that Hollow was going after that woman. Because it was after your soul. Your Spirit Energy has been leaking out, and so, it wants to devour your soul." Said the boy

"It was… after me this whole time?" I wondered

_It then came back!_

"It's back!" exclaimed the boy

"Hey! Ugly! That's right, I'm talking to you! It's my soul you want, right? Well then come and get it!" I exclaimed

_It then stretched its head, but before it reached me, the Soul Reaper took my place!_

"Soul Reaper!" I exclaimed

"You… really don't know what you're up against, do you? How could you have possibly have thought you were any match for a Hollow? Did you really think that everything would be over if you gave it your soul? One soul doesn't satisfy them for long. If you don't stop interfering then we're all going to end up as its food!" exclaimed the boy

"I… I had no idea." I said

_The Hollow was about to come back at us again!_

"I'm too injured to fight. Do you want to save your family?" asked the boy

"Of course I want to! Is there a way I can do that without having that Hollow devour my soul?" I asked

"There is one way. It will only be temporary but…" started the boy

_He then held out his sword._

"You must become a Soul Reaper yourself." Said the boy

"Say what?" I wondered

"I've seen how you handled that sword, you can handle taking down that Hollow. You must take my zanpakuto and run it through the center of your being so that I may pour my powers into you. I can't guarantee that it'll work, but if it doesn't, then we're both dead." Said the boy

"Then run that blade through Soul Reaper." I said

"Don't call me that. Like you, I have a name. My name is Shizuku." Said Shizuku

"My name is Karen. Karen Tsukimori." I said

_He ran the blade through me, and within moments, I was filled with an incredible strength! I sliced the other arm of that Hollow. I was now wearing the same outfit Shizuku was wearing, but his sword, compared with the one I was holding, was different._

"You scum. You've hurt my family, and that can never be forgiven. So now, feel the wrath of my blade within the light of this very moon!" I exclaimed

_Where did those words come from? I didn't have time to think about it, because it was now or never. I sliced the Hollow into two, and as I sheathed the sword I was holding, it disappeared, forever._

_**Whew, done and done! I hope I didn't screw this up too badly. Please review, and until next time, I'm sakuraphoenix, saying I heart you, signing off for now. Have a happy new year!**_


	2. A Soul in Pain

Chapter 2: A Soul in Pain

_**Okay people, it's chapter two of Spirits of the Past! I hope this chapter appeals to your tastes, so, why don't we get started with the disclaimer?**_

_**Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach period nor Shizuku. Credit goes to LyokoWarrior1994 who is also co-working with me on this project**_

_**Enjoy!**_

"Good morning… Karen!" exclaimed my uncle

_Unfortunately for him, he dived headfirst, into my fist._

"Are you insane? What kind of sick and twisted uncle attacks his own niece when she's in bed, huh?" I exclaimed

"You are getting good. It looks like there's almost nothing left for me to teach you." Said my uncle

_Then I remembered the events of the night before._

"Hold it! What happened to your injuries? And Aunt Homura, is she alright?" I asked

"Injuries? Is Homura okay? What are you talking about?" asked my uncle

_The hole from last night was still there! But the blood stains on Aunt Homura's Kendo sword, well, they were gone._

"It's a miracle! A truck plows right into our house and none of us get a single scratch!" exclaimed my uncle

"What's amazing is that we all didn't wake up from it." Said my aunt

_I don't get it. Their wounds are gone, and they think a truck did this? Did that boy Shizuku have anything to do with it?_

"Karen, you have about 10 minutes to eat breakfast before heading to school." Said my aunt

_I then looked at the watch I forgot to take off the night before, and she was right!_

"AH! I'm late! Aunt Homura, toast some toast or something! I'll have to eat on the way to school! It's my turn to set up for class!" I exclaimed

_I wonder if he went back to that place he was talking about. The Soul Society._

_Later…_

"Karen, you okay? I heard that a truck crashed into your place last night." Said Tatsuki

"Yeah, the good news is, we escaped unscathed." I said

"So, is it all cleaned up?" asked Orihime

"You kidding? It's gonna take forever to clean!" I exclaimed

"Need any help?" asked a male voice

_I looked to my left, and I saw Sado looming over me._

"It's okay Chad." I said

"Yeah, I mean, if you're not careful, you could bring the house down." Said Tatsuki

"Funny thing is, the same thing happened with Ichigo's place." Said Sado

"Seriously? No way." I said

"Hey, you're Karen Tsukimori, right?" asked a male voice behind me

_I turned around, and it was Shizuku! What was he doing here?_

"I'll be sitting next to you from now on. My name is Shizuku." Said Shizuku

"Ah! I-it's you!" I exclaimed

"Karen, what's wrong? Do you two know each other?" asked Tatsuki

"Of course not. We've never met before, isn't that right Karen?" asked Shizuku

"Shizuku's a brand new transfer student. Nice to meet you." Said Orihime

"It's a pleasure." Said Shizuku

_He extended his hand in a gesture of a handshake, but on his hand were the words, 'Make a scene and you are so dead!' Oh snap!_

_Later…_

"Alright you little delinquent, what in the world do you think you're doing?" I exclaimed

"Oh my, how scary. You're not going to hurt me, are you?" asked Shizuku

"Can the 'nice guy' act already, will ya?" I asked

"Well, I thought it was pretty good, considering I learned it overnight." Said Shizuku

"Oh to hell with it. Why are you here anyway? Aren't you supposed to be back in your Soul Society place?" I asked

"I can't go back to the Soul Society, not like this with half of my powers missing. My captain will kill me once he finds out. Thanks to you, for the time being, I'm stuck in this ridiculous Gigai." Said Shizuku

"What's a Gigai?" I asked

"It's a temporary body that serves as a vessel in an emergency. If a Soul Reaper is drastically weakened, they reside inside of a Gigai until their powers come back." Said Shizuku

"So that's how Orihime, Tatsuki, and Chad were able to see you. Because of that Gigai, right?" I asked

"Bingo, and so, until the rest of my powers come back, it's up to you Karen to assist me to perform the duties of a Soul Reaper. It's only natural, you now possess the strength of a Soul Reaper. You don't have…" started Shizuku

"Get out of town!" I exclaimed as I made an 'X' with my hands

"What?" asked Shizuku

"My days as a Soul Reaper began and ended when that Hollow attacked my family. I'm not becoming your partner in anything." I said

"Don't be ridiculous Karen, you did just fine yesterday." Said Shizuku

"That was only because my Aunt Homura was about to become Soul Food. I don't risk my neck to save people I don't know without a good reason. Sorry to disappoint." I said

_I then began to walk away._

"Well, I guess I have no choice. Hey!" exclaimed Shizuku

"Huh?" I wondered

_I turned around, and I saw Shizuku push me, and the funny thing is, well, I was staring at my unconscious body as I was standing!_

"Holy crap! What did you do to my body?" I exclaimed

"Follow me once I get out of this Gigai." Said Shizuku

_Not like I had much of a choice. I followed him to the dojo I used to go to until I became a black belt in martial arts._

"Where are we going?" I asked

"We're getting close." Said Shizuku

"Close to what?" I asked

"Our latest order from the Soul Society. It looks like the spirit of a girl who dwells here near this dojo is likely to come under attack soon." Said Shizuku

"This place…" I started

"You've been here before?" asked Shizuku

"When I was a kid, I used to take martial arts lessons. But, I was better than the others, considering the fact that I used to be blind until six years ago." I said

"How were you able to see again?" asked Shizuku

_Before I was able to answer that question, we heard a scream. We saw a teenage girl with blond hair and green eyes running from a Hollow. She was about 5 foot 6 and wore a blue long-sleeved dress. I was about to draw my zanpakuto when Shizuku put his hand on my shoulder._

"What are you doing?" I asked

"I could be asking you the same thing. That girl is a person you don't know, right?" asked Shizuku

"So? I can't just stand by and let her get hurt! Do you expect me to watch her die?" I asked

"Don't be foolish! In the eyes of a Soul Reaper, all the spirits of this world are equal. Getting involved simply because spirits are nearby or they need help isn't how it works. Leave her be! If you intend to help this girl, then commit yourself to saving every spirit. You must be willing to go to any length, even to sacrifice your own life." Said Shizuku

_I drew my zanpakuto, and I sliced off the legs of the overgrown centipede Hollow. It only disappeared, it wasn't purified yet._

"Have you made your decision Karen?" asked Shizuku

"Like hell I have. I haven't decided to do squat, but I can't just stand by and let innocent people get hurt. What about you? I seem to remember you putting your life on the line to save me last night. Were you truly thinking about your duty when you rushed to help me? Of course not, because that's the last thing on your mind when you save someone. At the very least, I choose to be different!" I exclaimed as I sliced the Hollow in half, which caused it to disappear permanently

_The girl then looked back, and then at me._

"Are you okay?" I asked

"Yes, I'm fine." Said the girl

"Listen, if you don't want anything like that to happen to you again, then you should cross over to the other side. Whatever family you have, they're waiting for you." I said

_I performed the Konso on her, and she was sent to the Soul Society._

"You handled that quite well." Said Shizuku

"Yeah, well, we're heading back. Don't want to cause a ruckus, now do we?" I asked

_The weekend came by sooner than I hoped. I was in town buying groceries. I was wearing a sleeveless pink blouse with a dark pink Victorian-styled gothic skirt. I was also wearing black stockings, and pink heels. I wore the fingerless gloves I usually wore to hide my birthmark on my right hand. I then noticed Shizuku outside the bookstore! What was he doing?_

"If I may trust the flattering truth of sleep, my dreams presage some joyful news at hand. My bosom's lord sits lightly in his throne, and all this day…" started Shizuku

"Geez, would you just shut up already?" I exclaimed

"What is your problem? I am studying contemporary language." Said Shizuku

"Newsflash, if the title of the book you're reading says '_Romeo and Juliet_' and the author is William Shakespeare, then you're off by four centuries. Tell me, how long do you plan on following me, anyway?" I asked

"Until you answer your calling as a Soul Reaper." Said Shizuku

"Like hell that's gonna happen." I said

_I then felt a strange spiritual pressure, and yet, at the same time, so familiar. But I've never sensed this one before._

'_Oh, but you have Sakura. Try and remember your past._'

_You again, huh? Just shut up and butt out of my life._

_Later that evening…_

"Hey Karen, you haven't seen my old pajamas, have you?" asked my uncle

"Why would I have a boy's pajamas? I'm a girl for god's sake." I said

"That's rude." Said my uncle

"Alright, alright, I haven't seen your old pajamas." I said

"That's weird. You know, one of my old outfits back in my college days when I met your aunt has gone missing too." Said my uncle

"Why do you feel the urge to tell me about every little thing that's happened to you lately?" I asked

"Well, sorry I asked! Good night!" exclaimed my uncle slamming my door

"Hey! You're welcome. Sheesh, talk about ungrateful." I said

_I was about to finish the last chapter of my book, when I heard some kind of ringing. Did my uncle have a new ringtone to his cell phone? Just then, my closet door opened._

"Hey! Karen!" exclaimed Shizuku

"AH! What the heck? What are you doing in there? Are those my uncle's old pajamas you've got on?" I exclaimed

"I'll explain later. We got orders." Said Shizuku

"Orders?" I wondered

"We're not alone." Said Shizuku

"Hold it! What are you saying?" I exclaimed

"Get down!" exclaimed Shizuku as he pushed my soul out from my body

_A Hollow appeared from behind where I was sitting. Man that was close!_

"Why are you standing there? Do something!" exclaimed Shizuku

_It attacked again, but Shizuku and I managed to dodge it safely._

"You have to aim for its head!" exclaimed Shizuku

_I tried, but it would always block my zanpakuto with a part of its body._

"You need to focus! Don't just swing your sword around!" exclaimed Shizuku

"I know that!" I exclaimed

"Sakura! Stop fighting me! Come with me!" exclaimed the Hollow

_Again with the name Sakura? For the last time, my name is Karen! I managed to fool it and got to its head, but the cut was too shallow! Half of the mask broke off, and somehow, I knew that face. He disappeared to wherever the Hollows go back to. I noticed the shocked look on Shizuku's face._

"He called you 'Sakura'. Is that your real name or something?" asked Shizuku

"No. My name isn't Sakura, but… I've been hearing a voice in my head lately calling me by that name. The problem is, I don't know why he called me by that name, and yet, I somehow know his face. Shizuku, you know that Hollow, don't you?" I asked

"Yes. He… was not only a member of Squad 3, like me, but he was also my best friend. His name was Ren Himiwari." Said Shizuku

"Ren… Himiwari? I… I know that name, somehow." I said

"But how? You're human aren't you? You wouldn't know him. Ren was nobility, and he never came to the World of the Living." Said Shizuku

"World of the what?" I wondered

"It's what we Soul Reapers call your world." Said Shizuku

"Oh. But still, I don't know how I know that name, but I know it, somehow." I said.

"We have to go after him anyhow. Hollows were once the souls of human beings, and soul reapers as well, no different than anyone else." Said Shizuku

"Y-you never told me that! But, what I just saw, it was a monster, wasn't it? Some being from the underworld that needed to be wiped out!" I exclaimed

"Correct. He is a monster now, and he must be destroyed." Said Shizuku

"But still, he was human once." I said

"It can't be helped. Souls that hold onto feelings of resentment or regret will sometimes resist Konso and linger on alone in this world. Should that happen, they either become Hollows on their own or they're devoured by other Hollows and become one of the fold." Said Shizuku

"But that's… I can't imagine the pain he went through when that happened to him." I said

_**Cliffhanger! I know, I'm cruel, right? Well, you'll be surprised when you see some of the future chapters. What are they going to be about? I'm not telling, yet. Please review, check out my poll, and until next time, I'm sakuraphoenix, saying I heart you, signing off for now. Kan dao ni!**_


	3. A Brother's Lament

Chapter 3: A Brother's Lament

_**Hey everyone! It's me sakuraphoenix, and I'm back with a new chapter of Spirits of the Past! I know, I've been bust lately, but thankfully, I found time to update some of my fanfics with this four-day weekend of mine. Any, enough with the yakking, it's time for the disclaimer!**_

_**Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach or Shizuku. Shizuku is owned by my friend Lyokowarrior1994, who is also co-working with me on this project**_

_**Enjoy!**_

"I just don't get it, why did your best friend attack us?" I asked

"Not us, just you. Judging from the last hollow you killed, I would guess there's a more powerful hollow behind this that wants to consume your spirit energy. It probably has several hollows under its control. It knows where you are now and is sending other hollows here to carry out its orders. That would explain why Ren showed up." Said Shizuku

"You expect me to kill him now? He was your friend, there's no way I could do it!" I exclaimed

"You have to do it. You haven't got a choice. If we don't kill him, he'll wander around forever, and he'll keep coming after you again and again until he gets your soul. Wait a minute, you're not the only one in danger! There are some rare cases when hollows go to attack others with high spirit energy, others like you." Said Shizuku

_After Shizuku managed to get out of his gigai, we were practically running all over Karakura Town to find this 'Ren' guy._

"So, you mean to tell me that since he failed to devour my soul, he's going to after some other souls?" I asked

"Pretty much. Know anyone with high spirit energy?" asked Shizuku

"Just Ichigo Kurosaki, my friend. He claims that he can see ghosts. For our sakes, I hope he's not next on your friend's menu!" I exclaimed

"Ren was my friend, was. There's a difference!" exclaimed Shizuku

"Point is, maybe you can break through to him. He was a Soul Reaper once, right?" I asked

"Yeah." Said Shizuku

"Then maybe you can break through to him. And speak of the devil, there he is now!" I exclaimed

"I got this one! _Ruler, mask of flesh and blood, all things in the universe fly! That which names all in nature, gathering of heat and war! Beyond the seas in reverse, take steps to the south! Hado number 31! Shakaho! Red Flame Cannon!_" chanted Shizuku

_Some kind of red ball of fire managed to hit Ren on the back. He then turned to face us._

"Looks like we found you Captain Overbite." I said

"Ren!" exclaimed Shizuku

"Shizuku, wait!" I exclaimed

_A little late for that. Shizuku drew his zanpaku-to, and was fighting against Ren. He was fighting with pure instinct now. I wanted to join in the fight, but judging by the way Shizuku was fighting, it was a battle for his honor, and Ren…_

"Ren, come to your senses! It's me Shizuku!" exclaimed Shizuku

_It appeared that Shizuku was getting the upper hand, but when Ren knocked aside his zanpaku-to, he grabbed him, and started to suffocate him._

"Shizuku! I'm the one you're really after, leave him alone!" I exclaimed as I drew my zanpaku-to

_I tried to cut him, but his skin was like iron, he knocked me to the asphalt, and well, when I got up onto my feet, I felt my head, and it was bleeding. Man, this was going to hurt. I then noticed that my own zanpaku-to was right next to Shizuku's. He then did was he was doing to Shizuku earlier._

"Shizuku… STOP IT!" I cried out

_I then felt tears fall down the sides of my face. He then looked at me, and suddenly, I was seeing things that weren't in my memories. They were… Ren's._

_*Flashback 1*_

_A boy who looked like he was 15 years old was just waking up when he heard the sounds of someone crying. He quietly tip-toed his way over to the room his heard the sounds of crying. When he reached the room, there was someone there with long pink hair that was about the same length as Karen's hair without the ringlets. It was long and flowing, and she was holding a picture of a man with long blond hair wearing a white hatori coat. In the picture, the girl was in it too._

"_Captain Hirako, Yoruichi, Kisuke, why? Why did you leave? I know what the charges were, but I know you too well Kisuke. You'd never do such a thing without a good reason. Kisuke, I swear, I will clear you name. I don't care how long it takes, but I promise, I will clear your name." said the girl_

_*End Flashback 1*_

_*Flashback 2*_

"_I proudly present the fifth company's newest lieutenant, Sakura Himiwari! Under the tutelage of the fifth company's newest captain, Sosuke Aizen, we hope that the Soul Society's very fifth company will continue to move forward! That is all." Said a very old man_

_Ren could be seen running behind the barracks of the fifth company, wanting to congratulate his sister for her recent promotion. Just when he's about to speak, he hears two voices, one male and one female._

"_Whatever do you mean Lieutenant Himiwari?" asked a male voice_

"_I may be your lieutenant Captain Aizen, but don't think that automatically makes us friends. Captain Hirako was discharged for reasons that I know that my friend Kisuke Urahara would never do. I will find out what truly happened to him, even if it costs me my life." Said Sakura before her footsteps could be heard_

'_This Captain Aizen, if Sakura is wary about him, I better keep my distance.' Thought Ren_

_*End Flashback 2*_

_*Flashback 3*_

_An older Ren Himiwari could be seen running through a forest, trying to catch up with his sister. However, when he found her, he noticed two things. One, her zanpaku-to was missing. Two, she was no longer breathing._

"_Sakura, Sakura, come on, this is some kind of joke, right? Come on, wake up." Said Ren while he was trying to shake her awake_

_He then noticed a hole in her chest where her heart was supposed to be. Ren had a face of shock seeing her like that._

"_She's not dead. She can't be dead! She must've faked it! She must've! SAKURA!" cried Ren_

_*End flashback 3*_

"Now I understand why you mistook me for your sister, Sakura. You can't bring yourself to believe that she's dead, and that she faked her death and is alive somewhere. I'm sorry, but I'm not her, I'm not your sister. Let me ask you something Captain Overbite, why are the older siblings born first? So they could protect the younger ones. That's what Ichigo always told me. I don't have any siblings myself, so I don't really know for myself. But I can tell from the memories I saw that even though Sakura was your sister, you wanted to protect her, even if she was older than you. Would she like it if she saw you doing this? Threatening to kill your best friend?" I asked

"Sakura, she would… she would…" started Ren

_The mask that was on his face began to revert from being on it to off like how some people would change channels on a TV. While that was happening, he let Shizuku go._

"Shizuku! Shizuku, what in the world is happening to him?" I asked

"The part of him that's still human is fighting the hollow for control. Evidentially Ren didn't become a hollow by choice. He must've been taken over." Said Shizuku as he caught his breath

"Taken over? By who?" I asked

"A soul that is devoured by a strong hollow is manipulated by that strong hollow, and that hollow desires your spirit energy, so it took over Ren's soul planning to use it to attack you. Right now, Ren is desperately fighting that hollow for Sakura's sake." Said Shizuku

_The mask on his face completely broke off, revealing purple eyes and light brown hair. When he saw Shizuku, he apparently had a face of regret. He then picked up my zanpaku-to._

"What are you doing?" I asked

"I only have a short time before the hollow overwhelms me again and changes me back into a monster. So while I'm sane and can still think clearly, I'll end this." said Ren

_He then put my zanpaku-to at his neck._

"Hey! Wait! Don't do that!" I exclaimed

"Karen, it's alright. He's made the right decision. Once you become a hollow, you can never go back to what you were again. Passing on is the best thing for him." Said Shizuku

"But Shizuku…" I started

"It's okay. In time, you'll learn that exorcising a hollow isn't the same as killing it. You're cleansing its soul and allowing it to enter the Soul Society. That's why Soul Reapers exist in the first place, to help all souls find their way, and finally rest in peace." Said Shizuku

_I then looked at Ren, and he nodded._

"Ren, before you go, there's one thing I just want to say. The day that you died, I couldn't help but blame myself for not being on my guard. You were the one in charge of teaching me the basics after I was assigned to the thirteen court guards. I'm sorry Ren, and I hope you can forgive me." Said Shizuku

"Don't worry about a thing. I forgave you a long time ago." Said Ren

_He then stabbed himself in the chest with my zanpaku-to, and disappeared in a showed of cherry blossom petals. I knew that he was probably at peace now, but still, I couldn't help but be sad. But why?_

_The next day…_

_I was eating lunch on the roof with the others, and Orihime was eating her strange lunch as usual._

"Really. What happened was a sumo wrestler with a gun blasted a hole through the wall into my room last night." Said Orihime

_Somehow, I doubt this is possible. I think she was the victim of a hollow attack. But Shizuku was with me the whole time. Does this mean that there's another Soul Reaper from the Soul Society in Karakura Town?_

"Please, Orihime, if you're gonna make up stories, at least make them sound realistic, like maybe a pro wrestling match spilled out of the ring." Said one of Orihime's friends

"Don't listen to them Orihime. I like your wild imagination." Said Chizuru

"But it's not a made-up story, I swear! It really happened, right Tatsuki?" asked Orihime

"Well, yeah. I remember something like that." Said Tatsuki

_Just then, I finished my lunch. I had fifteen minutes before we had to head off to class, so I got up._

"Where are you going Karen?" asked Tatsuki

"Somewhere. I just don't want to say where." I said

_I then walked to the music room, and pulled out the violin I secretly took to school today. I made sure that it was well-tuned with the tuning forks that I bought a few years ago. It was still well tuned. I then began to play the song that both my mother and father taught me as a kid, Ave Maria, written by Franz Schubert. Mom and dad used to tell me that they met because of a school-wide music contest, and at first, they were like fire and ice. But over time, they developed feelings for each other. Soon enough, I came into the picture. When I finished the song, there were ten minutes left before lunch was over. I was about the put my violin away when I heard a crash outside the door._

"Who's there?" I exclaimed as I opened the door

_I saw Shizuku on the ground with a big bump on his head like he had just fallen onto the floor._

"Shizuku." I said

"Huh? Karen! Was that you in there?" asked Shizuku

"I'd be lying if I said no Shizuku. Just what are you doing here?" I asked

"Um, well, you see, I heard something, and well, I just never heard anything like it before." Said Shizuku

"I'm guessing that they don't have violins in the Soul Society." I said

"Is that what that sound was?" asked Shizuku

"Yes." I said as I held my violin

"So that's a violin, huh? Where did you get it?" asked Shizuku

"My mother… used this violin once." I said sadly

"Oh, um, sorry, I shouldn't have asked." Said Shizuku

"It's okay. Hey Shizuku, I'm still not exactly ready to commit myself to this or anything, heck, I'm not so noble a person that I'm willing to risk my life for a complete stranger just like that, however, I could never just stand around and watch while someone else was getting hurt, so I'll help you. At least for now, with this work of yours, as a Soul Reaper." I said

"Good, I'm counting on you." Said Shizuku

_**Done and done! I hope this chapter was to your liking, 'coz the next one's gonna be even better! Please review, check out my poll, and until next time, I'm sakuraphoenix, saying I heart you, signing off for now. Guo nian hao!**_


	4. Cursed Parakeet

Chapter 4: Cursed Parakeet

_**Hey everyone! What's up? It's me sakuraphoenix, and I'm back with a new chapter! Thankfully, I found some time to continue writing some of the fanfics that I've been posting on fanfiction, and thankfully I'm more than glad to type this chapter! Anyhow, let's move onto the disclaimer!**_

_**Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach or Shizuku. Credit goes to LyokoWarrior1994**_

_**This is gonna start in Setsuna's P.O.V. Who's Setsuna you may ask? You're gonna find out.**_

_**Enjoy!**_

_It's been a long time ever since my_ _father died protecting me, and I just met someone else who was just like me, stuck in the body of a parakeet. His name was Yuichi Shibata. Right now, I was in a cage and Yuichi was in another one. We somehow got in the same boat with the same owner the last three times, so now we were together. We were currently in some kind of abandoned construction complex._

"Cockatiels that are cursed?" asked the blonde haired guy

"Uh-huh. All the people who've owned these birds have gotten into these really terrible situations and died." Said the practically bald-haired boy

"Wow. Are you serious? That's not a good sign." Said the blonde haired boy

"Hey, Shigeo, you wanna take them?" asked the practically bald-haired boy

"So please, tell me, just how stupid do I look to you? Here's an idea, why don't you just set them free or dump them someplace?" asked Shigeo

"Aw, that would be too cruel. Hey Chad, what'd ya say? Aren't they cute?" asked the practically bald-haired guy holding up our cage

"Hey, knock it off. You know Chad's got a weakness for cute things." Said Shigeo

_We then saw the monsters that did this to us. We squawked in warning, hoping that they would get away in time. However, when it did fall, the guy whom the others called 'Chad' saved us. I mean, seriously, what was this guy made out of, rocks, maybe steel? Whatever the case, he was impressive._

"C-C-Chad?" wondered the practically bald-haired guy

"Yeah. Are you alright buddy?" asked Shigeo

"Yeah. I think I'm okay." Said Chad

"You're okay, then how come you're bleeding bro?" asked Shigeo

"Thank you so much for saving us. Hello there, my name is Yuichi Shibata." Said Yuichi

"And my name's Setsuna Aono. What's your name sir?" I asked

"What? Did you hear that? T-those birds are talking like normal people." Said Shigeo

"Yeah, I heard them. They really are cursed." Said the practically bald guy

"I'd really like to know your name mister." Said Yuichi

"So would I." I said

"Sado Yasutora. I'm fifteen years old." Said Chad

"Check it out. Chad's interested in the bird." Said Shigeo

_Karen's P.O.V._

_The next day…_

"Hey, there isn't a single trace of those cuts and bruises from last night. It's nearly healed in just one day." I said

"Don't be so surprised, I got the second best grades in my kido class, and I guess I have a bit of a talent for it. Healing your wounds was nothing, even with half of my powers missing." Said Shizuku

"You got graded? So there's a school for Soul Reapers?" I asked

"Um, I guess you could call it that. So tell me, how do I drink from this thing?" Shizuku asked while holding a juice box in his hand

"You poke a hole with the sharp end of your straw." I said

"What's a straw?" asked Shizuku

"So, it looks like you're together again." Said a female voice

"Lay off them Michiru." Said another female voice

_I turned to look and it was Mahana, Michiru, and Ryo._

"Mahana, Michiru, shut up, besides does it look like we're suddenly buddy-buddy now?" I asked

"Maybe. Well, to be honest, the two of you do appear to be very close, but still, people are gonna talk about you two, and if they talk enough, everyone will think you're an item." Said Mahana

"If I really cared about what others thought, I would've dyed my hair black and gotten contacts that changed my eye colors a long time ago." I said

"Yeah, that's true." Said Ryo

"So this is the straw! It's short, but now I have to know where do I poke it." Said Shizuku

"Hello. How are you?" asked Ryo

"Oh hi, you're um, Ryo, right?" asked Shizuku

"That's right. I guess we haven't been properly introduced. My name's Ryo Kunieda. I really like…" started Ryo

"Reading books and picking up guys." I said

"What? That's not true Karen." Said Ryo

"Hey Shizuku, watch out, she may look like a good person, but she's a player." I said

"You know I go for the older guys, right?" asked Ryo

"That's exactly why I said watch out." I said

_Translation, me, Karen Tsukimori, 15 years old. Ryo Kunieda, 15 years old. Shizuku, so much older._

"Come on Shizuku, don't make me drag you out." I said as I grabbed him from the collar of his uniform

"Hey, where are we going?" exclaimed Shizuku

"Shut up and follow me." I said

_Just before we got to the roof, rich brat Erika appeared in front of me. Once a month she dyed her hair and changed her eye color. This month it was C.C. green, and golden yellow. Everyone knew that she loved to tease people who were different, and since I was the only girl in the school to have purple and pink hair with matching eye colors, well, you got the idea._

"So Karen, when are you going to dye that hideous hair of yours black and rid of those ringlets?" asked Erika

"One, my hair is natural, and I will never, ever, dye it. Two, I like my ringlets in my hair, got a problem TWACE? (A/N: I got this idea from LyokoWarrior1994's idea, TWACS)" I asked

"What the heck does that mean?" exclaimed Erika

"Like hell I'd tell you. Now move aside TWACE, before I get really pissed." I said

"Fine, you win this time Tsukimori." Erika said before walking away

"Come on Shizuku, before Miss Brat decides to try again." I said beginning to walk

"Um, okay." Said Shizuku as he ran to catch up with me

_We then got onto the roof, where I saw Ichigo, Mizuiro, and that new girl, what was her name again, uh, Rukia?_

"Yo, Ichigo." I said

"Huh? Hey, it's been a while Karen. What's up?" asked Ichigo

"Nothing much, just wanted a change of scenery." I said

"And it looks like you brought Shizuku along with you. You know, people are going to talk about you." Said Mizuiro

"This again? Look dude, if I actually cared about what others said, I would've dyed my hair black and gotten brown contacts a long time ago." I said

"That's true." Said Mizuiro

"What's this? Rukia Kuchiki the hot transfer student and Karen Tsukimori the hot musician is here with you guys? How did that happen?" asked Keigo

_That last name, it's familiar. Where did I hear that name before? Kuchiki, Kuchiki… well, it rings a bell._

"Ichigo picked Rukia up, he's the one who brought her here." Said Mizuiro

"Huh? I did not!" exclaimed Ichigo

"Ichigo did? What a guy. Good job." Keigo said while crying

"Well, I guess. It's really no big deal." Said Ichigo

"*Sigh* And the idiot strike again." I muttered under my breath

_Keigo then walked up to Rukia._

"Greetings, I'm Keigo Asano. Welcome lovely lady to this garden of manliness." Said Keigo

"Uh, hello." Said Rukia

"Yeah! Lunch party! Right here, right now!" exclaimed Keigo

"Some party. Noodles and juice?" asked Mizuiro

"Shut up! It's the feeling that counts! So Rukia, if you find yourself needing anything, just call on me. I'm here for you." Said Keigo

"Great! Open this!" Rukia exclaimed while holding up a juice box

"No prob, your wish is my command." Said Keigo

_He then backed up, and we saw Chad! What in the world happened to him?_

"Chad! What happened to you? You look like you've been nearly run over!" I exclaimed

"Whoa, you got hurt. How? What happened to you?" asked Keigo

"I had a mishap. A steel beam fell on my head." Said Sado

"A steel beam? Dude, avoid the construction sites from now on!" I exclaimed

"My hand got hurt when a motorcycle ran into me. The rider that hit me got banged up pretty bad. The force of the collision threw him off and he was knocked out, so I picked the guy up and carried him to the hospital." Said Sado

"Well no wonder you were late to school." Said Keigo

"The only thing I wonder about is what exactly is your body made of?" asked Ichigo

"Titanium? Maybe rocks?" I offered

"Nice try Karen." Said Ichigo

"It was just a thought!" I defended

_He then set down a couple of birdcages._

"Hey, so where'd you get those birds?" asked Keigo

"My name's Yuichi Shibata. It's nice to meet you." Said Yuichi

"And I'm Setsuna Aono. Hello there. What's your name?" asked Setsuna

_Did those birds just talk? It can't be a normal bird. Just then, I sensed two human souls inside those birds!_

"That is amazing! I mean the way these birds can talk is phenomenal! My name's Keigo Asano. Keigo Asano. Can you say that?" asked Keigo

"So Chad, where did you get these birds?" I asked

"Someone… gave me them." Said Sado

"Hold it! There ya go again! Getting lazy and cutting your story short! Come on! That's a bad habit you have Chad! Now explain! Spill it!" exclaimed Keigo

"That was the whole story." Said Chad

"There you go! Just like you usually do! You never share the details!" exclaimed Keigo

"Hey, don't worry about it." Said Shizuku

"Huh?" I wondered

"You're right, there is something in those birds, but I don't think it's evil. They're probably just lonely souls, you know, one that didn't have many friends. However, we can't leave them, or they might become hollows. Tonight, we need to perform a Konso." Said Shizuku

"Great, another sleepless night." I said

"It doesn't help to complain." Said Shizuku

"Yeah, I know." I said while taking his juice box

_Seeing that he almost poked a hole in the wrong place, I decided to help him out. I extended his straw, and place it over the hole that was covered by aluminum foil._

"Here." I said holding up the juice box

"Thank you." Said Shizuku as he took the juice box

"I have to tell you something. When Ichigo and I were in the eighth grade that was when we first met Chad. I saw Ichigo with my own eyes when I was able to see back in the seventh grade. The color of both my hair and Ichigo's always attracted attention, not in a good way, so as a result, Ichigo and I would end up in these fights. To be honest, the day Ichigo and I met Chad, his timing couldn't have been better. Ichigo and I were in a bit of a scuffle, and the guys who were beating us up meant business. The day I met Chad, I knew there was something about him. Thing is, he never fights back, no matter how much people let him on." I said

"He's an odd one." Said Shizuku

"I guess you could say that." I said

"This juice tastes good." said Shizuku

"Enjoy." I said

_After school…_

"So, you keep that, uh, violin was it?" asked Shizuku

"Yeah." I said

"So, you keep it at school, right? Why?" asked Shizuku

"I don't trust my uncle enough to leave it at home. Last time I did, he broke my father's violin. We got it fixed, but now I keep it under lock and key. My mom's violin on the other hand, I just don't want to lose the memories. When I was younger, my mom used to play Ave Maria on her violin to get me to sleep. I guess I've been wanting to play the violin ever since. I've been taking lessons for a while, and heck, I surprised my first teacher when I could play the scales on the violin when I was blind." I said

"That is surprising." Said Shizuku

"Well, we're here." I said as I stopped in front of a music shop

"What is this place?" asked Shizuku

"Minami Instruments. I come here all the time to buy the replacement strings I need for her." I said as I looked down at my violin case

"Her?" wondered Shizuku

"My violin." I said

_I entered the shop, and the shopkeeper turned around and saw me and Shizuku._

"Karen. Has it been a year already?" asked the shopkeeper

"Yes, it has Mr. Minami." I said

"So, who's the young man with you? Your boyfriend?" asked Mr. Minami

_I felt heat rush to my cheeks._

"Mr. Minami! No! H-he's just a friend! Shizuku, this is the owner of the shop, Kizuna Minami. Mr. Minami, this is Shizuku, he's a new transfer student in my school." I said

"Pleasure to meet you Shizuku. Any friend of Karen's is a friend of mine." Said Kizuna

"So, how did the two of you meet?" asked Shizuku

"When she was young, she wanted to take violin lessons here. The other students laughed because at the time she was blind. But when she was able to figure out which notes to play even though she couldn't see, everyone was shocked, even me. That's when I decided to do a check on Karen's family. I never imagined that she was the daughter of Kahoko and Len." Said Kizuna

"Kahoko and Len?" wondered Shizuku

"Those were my parent's names. My father was the son of a pianist and a violinist. I tried the piano for a while, but I'm not as good at it as I am with the violin. Anyhow, I need some new strings for my violin. If I waited for a few more days, I'm sure that the strings would've snapped." I said

"Let me take a look." Said Kizuna as he took my violin

_He analyzed my violin's strings, seeing that he was a pro at repairing instruments._

"Well, the golden string is intact as always, but the other strings are close to breaking. You have a good ear for this violin. You really cherish this violin, don't you?" asked Kizuna

"I do. It's one of the last things I have to remember my mother. I'll buy the replacement strings." I said

_I went over to the shelves that carried the replacement strings for violins. I got the ones I needed and paid for them. I then replaced the strings, now I just had to make sure that they were well tuned. Just then, Mr. Minami walked over to the piano and played the notes for the strings that I just bought. They were in tune, thankfully._

"Just to make sure that they're alright, you'll have to play a song on her. Any requests?" asked Kizuna

"Hmm… how about Pachelbel's Canon in D?" I suggested

"You know, that song was one your mother played in her school back when she was your age in a school-wide music contest. Your father won first place, but that's a story for another time. Shizuku, was it?" asked Kizuna

"Yeah." Said Shizuku

"If you haven't heard Karen's violin performance before, prepare to be surprised." Said Kizuna

_He began the piano's part, for that was first in Canon in D's sheet music. Next to Beethoven's Romance in F, and Shubert's Ave Maria, Pachelbel's Canon in D was one of my favorite songs._

"You still have it Karen. I'm surprised that you quit a few years ago." Said Kizuna

"Well, that was when a bunch of wise-guys decided to stalk me because of my hair and eye colors." I said

"Kids these days. You don't have that problem now, do you?" asked Kizuna

"It's not as bad as it used to be. Though, I still get into fights that I don't start. I really hate fighting." I sighed

"Anyhow, it's getting late. I'm going to be closing the shop early today. You should get back home before that uncle of yours yells for being out late." Said Kizuna

"Thanks. It was nice seeing you again Mr. Minami." I said

"You too Karen. Take care." Said Kizuna

_Shizuku and I then walked out of the store, and headed back home._

"You play the violin well Karen. I was actually surprised on how well you played it." Said Shizuku

"Thanks. Not many people have…" I started

_My voice faltered when I heard the sound of flames. There was an accident on the corner! It looks like everyone in the cars were out safely, but there was Chad on the ground! It looked like he was protecting Setsuna and Yuichi, the birds!_

"Chad! Hang on buddy, we'll get you outta here. Shizuku, help me out here!" I exclaimed

"Okay." Said Shizuku

_We managed to get him out of there, but we were miles away from a hospital. Just then, I remembered that Ichigo's place wasn't that far from here._

"Shizuku, think we can lift him for a couple blocks?" I asked

"Maybe. Why?" asked Shizuku

"Ichigo's place isn't too far from here. His family runs a clinic where Chad can get treatment." I said as I struggled to move Chad and shift my bags around

"Oh. I see." Said Shizuku

_Thankfully, we managed to carry him to the Kurosaki Clinic, but when Shizuku saw the sign, he looked like he seen a ghost._

"Something wrong?" I asked

"Um, no. Nothing's wrong." Said Shizuku

"Oh. I see. Come on, help me get him through the door." I said

_Thankfully, we got him through the door without any trouble, well, much trouble to be more accurate._

"Hey! Kurosaki, ya in? You guys got a patient!" I exclaimed

"Huh? A patient? Whoa, this guy's as big as they come. Ichigo! Get here and get to work." Said Isshin Kurosaki

"You bet!" exclaimed Ichigo

_He came in from the other room, and he was surprised to see me, Shizuku, and Chad._

"Karen? Shizuku? Chad." Said Ichigo

"Hmm?" wondered Sado

_Ichigo's dad decided to take a look at Chad, and there was this huge wound on his back, which was still bleeding! But there was something else about it. It reeked of the scent of a hollow._

"Whoa. What a horrible wound." Said Yuzu

"So, what happened to you out there? This looks like a pretty nasty burn, but I think I can help you out. With this wound, you're gonna have to take it easy for a while." Said Isshin

"That's good." said Sado

"Huh?" wondered Isshin

"I'm fine now. Thanks for helping." Said Sado

"What? You are crazy. Do you have any idea how much blood you've lost son?" asked Isshin

_Chad then collapsed onto the floor. I guess this is one of those, 'told ya so' moments._

"I told ya. Yuzu! Karin! Get a bed ready for him." Said Isshin

"Right. Time to go to bed Mr. Giant." Said Yuzu

"Mr. Kurosaki, do you mind if I use your phone? Kazuki's gonna be pissed if I'm late without a good reason." I said

"No, allow me. I'll call him, and you get home." Said Isshin

"Thank you." I said

_Shizuku and I then walked home, but before we split directions, I decided to talk to him about Chad's wound._

"Did you feel it?" I asked

"Of course. Even though I sensed no evil in Chad's birds, Chad's wound really reeks of a hollow. Karen, about Ichigo. Is it possible that he's a Soul Reaper?" asked Shizuku

"Huh? What makes you say that? I've known Ichigo since we were kids." I said

"His Spiritual Pressure is something, and his spirit ribbon isn't white like a human's." said Shizuku

"So a Soul Reaper's Spirit Ribbon is a different color than a normal human's?" I asked

"Exactly." Said Shizuku

"Hmm… well, now that I think about it, when I entered Junior High, I sensed that Ichigo had a strong aura. It was how I was able to see when I was blind." I said

"Aura? Wait, you said that you were able to see souls and hear them for as long as you could remember, right?" asked Shizuku

"Yeah. When I became blind, I used that ability to see in a different way." I said

"Then you didn't see Ichigo's aura as you put it, you saw his Spirit Energy!" exclaimed Shizuku

"Spirit Energy? What's that?" I asked

"I'll explain the best that I can. Spirit Energy is a power aligned with the spiritual sensitivity and willpower of the user. It's usually used by Soul Reapers to provide power for their various feats and to effectively channel the powers of our zanpaku-to. It can also be used to cast kido. Spirit Energy can even be coalesced into a physical form and thrown or shot as a projectile. Any questions?" asked Shizuku

"Not really. Come on, we'll perform the Konso later, 'kay?" I asked

"Okay." Said Shizuku

_The next day…_

_Oh snap, I must've dozed off, big time. I overslept for the Konso. I bet Shizuku is ticked._

"Karen." Said Shizuku as he came out of the closet

"Um, Shizuku…" I started

"Listen, I'm sorry. I overslept last night, and I didn't wake up until just now. If you were waiting for me, then…" started Shizuku

"Actually, I was about to say the same thing. I guess we both needed some rest after all of the hollows we've been taking care of." I said

"Yeah, I guess." Admitted Shizuku

_Just then the phone rang. I picked it up as I just put on my socks._

"Hello? Kurogawa residence." I said

_Yeah, that's Kazuki's last name, Kazuki Kurogawa. That much a surprise? No way in hell was I going to be Karen Kurogawa._

"Karen! It's me Ichigo!" exclaimed Ichigo

"Ichigo! What's wrong?" I asked worried

"Chad's gone missing. Have you sensed his aura?" asked Ichigo

"Uh, no. I haven't sensed him. I'll go look for him, okay?" I asked

"Okay, meet up with me and Rukia in three hours if you can't find him, okay?" asked Ichigo

"Got it? Hey, since when did Rukia…" I started

_He had hung up on me._

"Stupid strawberry." I muttered as I hung up the phone

"Hey Karen, did you get the phone? Listen Homura and I…" started Kazuki

"Chad's gone missing, and that was Ichigo. If my teachers call because I was missing in class, tell them it was for a good cause!" I exclaimed as I ran out the door

_Shizuku was walking to school when I informed him about our missing Chad and his little bird friends. After a while, no sign of Chad._

"Karen!" exclaimed Shizuku

"Any luck?" I asked

"No, none. How about you?" asked Shizuku

"Nada. Got any info?" I asked

"Not yet. There's no news from the Soul Society about a hollow, and I'm not sensing anything either. When hollows aren't chasing souls, they hide themselves between this world and the Soul Society. When a hollow is between those two worlds, it can't be detected. What that means is that we won't be able to locate that hollow and deal with it until it shows up to attack Chad. You understand?" asked Shizuku

"I think I got it. The hollows are targeting Chad to gobble up his soul, but if we wait for it to strike, it'll be too late! Can we use Setsuna and Yuichi, his little bird friends to help detect the presence of a hollow?" I asked

"It's impossible." Said Shizuku

"Well, it's worth a try." I said

_I closed my eyes and concentrated on finding Chad. When I felt his spirit energy, I sensed the spirit energies of Setsuna and Yuichi, that's when I almost lost concentration. I saw Setsuna's strongest memory! She saw her father killed right in front of her own eyes! Before the killer could get her however, she outsmarted her and managed to lure her to the balcony of her home, and trip her. Setsuna, I promise that I will help you! That's when I found it! The presence of the hollow! I then noticed white ribbons around me. Could these be Spirit Ribbons?_

"Gotcha!" I exclaimed

"Wow." Said Shizuku speechless

"Come on, we have to move." I said before beginning to run

_It wasn't long before we found him, and not a moment too soon._

"There! It's Chad!" exclaimed Ichigo

_Looks like Ichigo made it too._

"Chad! Hey, stop running away! You need our help!" I exclaimed as I ran after him

_Man, the guy was fast. This is what I get when I decide to join the 'Go Home Straight From School club'. I can barely keep up with him! Before long, we lost him._

"Damn it, lost him." I said as I caught my breath

"He can't be too far from here." Said Shizuku

"Yeah, but where did he go is the question?" I wondered out loud

"You two smell good." said a female voice

_Shizuku and I stopped running, and I focused on trying to find the source of the voice. Just then, a hollow materialized right next to us._

"You two smell wonderful. Delicious. Time to eat, your souls!" exclaimed the hollow

_We managed to avoid the hollow's attack, somehow._

"So you're still alive. You two are tougher than I thought. And you can see me quite clearly. That makes me curious. Just who are you two?" asked the hollow

"Shizuku!" I exclaimed

"Got it!" exclaimed Shizuku

_I ran ahead, and helped Shizuku get some lift to get onto the hollow's back._

"_Ruler, mask of flesh and blood, all things in the universe fly, that which names all! In the name of truth and temperance dig your claws into the wall of sinless dreams! Hado number 33! Sokatsui, Pale Fire Crash!_" chanted Shizuku

_It hit the hollow dead on, but it looked like it hurt more than it did._

"I see, so that's what you two are. I know that spell, it's a Soul Reaper spell. That spell hurt, it's not nice to hit a lady. But your smells, you two do smell delicious. This brings back so many wonderful memories. You see, I've already had the pleasure of devouring two Soul Reaper's souls already who tried to help that little boy and the bratty girl, what's-her-face, Setsuna Aono, was it? Point is, they tried to help them get to the Soul Society. And let me tell you, they were mighty good eating." Said the hollow

"You mean Setsuna and Yuichi Shibata? The humans inside those birds?" I asked

"That's right." Said the hollow

"What's your problem dumbass? Why are you chasing Setsuna? Why?" I exclaimed

"I may tell you, if you let me have a little nibble." Said the hollow

"You scum." Said Shizuku

"What you're doing to Setsuna, and the others who followed, is unforgivable!" I exclaimed

_**Done and done! Whew, this took me a while to type, but I managed, somehow. Anyhow, please review, and until next time, I'm sakuraphoenix, saying I heart you, signing off for now. Kan dao ni!**_


	5. Crossing Hearts

Chapter 5: Crossing Hearts

_**Hey everyone! It's me sakuraphoenix, and I'm back with a new chapter of Spirits of the Past! I know some of you have been waiting for an update for some time now, so let's move onto the disclaimer!**_

_**Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach or Shizuku. Credit goes to my friend, Lyokowarrior1994.**_

_**Enjoy!**_

_The hollow attacking us, now had us up against a wall, quite literally. If someone didn't help us now, we'd suffocate to death._

"You two are weak, that spell had half the strength it would've normally had. If you two really are Soul Reapers, lose the meat suit already and fight me for real! Either way, you two are going to die." Said the hollow

_The hollow then got punched in the face by Chad! Could he see hollows? He then punched the air in front of him. Guess not._

"That was a lucky punch. He sure scared me there. For a minute, I thought he could see me." Said the hollow

_Chad then landed another punch, right between the eyes! That had to hurt!_

"Alright. I got 'im again." Said Sado

_Am I seeing things correctly? He's managed to knock that hollow down twice even though he can't see her. Yep, Chad's probably got no sense of fear._

"Damn you!" cursed the hollow before she jumped into the air

_The hollow revealed a pair of wings on her back, which strangely enough reminded me of a bat's wings._

"Let's see you try and punch me now you clueless human runt! I've got a few bones to pick with you after those punches to my beautiful face!" exclaimed the hollow

"Her beautiful face?" wondered Shizuku

"Yeah, that hollow's delirious." I said

"Chad, don't just stand there! She's in the air right above you!" exclaimed Shizuku

"Hey there new guy. Are you telling me you can see ghosts?" asked Sado

"Not only Shizuku, but I can as well. Why you ask? On second thought, don't answer that. Get away while you can." I said

"Where exactly is she?" asked Sado

"Huh?" wondered Shizuku

"When she charges, you two just tell me where she is." Said Sado

"Even if we did tell you, what are you going to do about it?" I asked

_He grabbed a telephone pole; at least, I think it was a telephone pole._

"When you got flies, you use a fly swatter." Said Sado

_He then proceeded to try and pull the telephone pole up._

"Ha-ha, so many ways I can attack all three of you. Should I swoop in low like a falcon? Or dive bomb straight onto your heads and tear you… huh?" wondered the hollow

_Chad had just did what I deemed impossible, that was; lift that telephone pole out of the ground. What in the world is his body made of?_

"Holy crap! What exactly is that kid's body made of?" exclaimed the hollow

"Just help me get a beat on her." Said Sado

"Dead ahead at 12 o'clock! Bring it down!" I exclaimed

_He brought it down, and let me tell you, that had to hurt._

"You're through now you stupid hollow." Said Shizuku

_The hollow then began to laugh. Just what did it find funny?_

"What's so funny pond scum?" I asked

"Lazy Soul Reapers. It's no wonder you're getting beaten and humiliated every time you battle us." said the hollow

_We were then attacked, by some overgrown puppies! That's it, that's another reason why I'm either A) afraid of dogs, or B) hate them, and I don't hate dogs._

"Looks like you guys barked up the wrong tree. You Soul Reapers take us too lightly. That's the reason you keep ending up like this. Face down and helpless. But which of you meat socks to eat first? I think I'll leave the tasty Soul Reapers for last." Said the hollow

_Chad then somehow managed to get the oversized dogs off him!_

"What the hell? You're the craziest human I've ever seen! You can't even see me and you think you can defeat me with sheer muscle power? I'm gonna enjoy taking a bite out of you." Said the hollow

_Chad almost got the hollow that time._

"Damn, he almost connected again. This guy has pretty good instinct." Said the hollow

"Chad! Don't just stand there! Kick the air above me and Shizuku!" I exclaimed

_He got them, thankfully. Then the hollow took off into the air._

"Another lucky hit!" exclaimed the hollow as she flew off

_The dogs took off, and Chad resumed hitting the air again. Seriously, at this rate, we're going to become Soul Food._

"She's not there!" exclaimed Shizuku

"Yeah! She's up in the air again!" I exclaimed

"Oh." Said Sado

"Anyway, I have a plan." Said Shizuku

_One crazy idea later, we have a makeshift rocket launcher._

"Hey new guy, you know that new girl, Rukia? She had the exact same plan that you have right now." said Sado

"Don't worry, combining your strength with my intelligence is our best chance here, and Karen's ability can help you find the stupid thing." Said Shizuku

"You must be as smart as Rukia, because like her plan, this feels stupid to me." Said Sado

"Let me do the thinking for the both of us, got it? I'll tell you where she is, and you aim me. Right there at 3 o'clock." Said Shizuku

"You mean like this?" asked Sado

"A little more to the left. That's it. Wait! Too far, back a bit to the right, now a little lower, there we go. Get ready to launch." Said Shizuku

"Okay, on my mark Chad. Steady…" I said

"You can't reach me all the way up here with a telephone pole, so whatever you're planning..." started the hollow

"Fire!" I exclaimed

"Huh?" wondered the hollow

_She then saw Shizuku getting launched into the air._

"What?" exclaimed the hollow

"You're through now you stinkin' hollow." Said Shizuku

"You're right Soul Reaper. I was a fool to think I could defeat you. I surrender! Kidding." Said the hollow

_Shizuku was then attacked by another overgrown mutt, and this one really stuck to him, no pun intended._

"Shizuku!" I exclaimed

"Don't worry! I got him!" exclaimed Sado

_He grabbed Shizuku just before he hit the asphalt. _

"That was a close one." Said Sado

"Yeah. She's a tricky one. Thanks for catching me." Said Shizuku

"Shizuku! You okay?" I asked

"Yeah. Help me get this mutt off me!" Shizuku exclaimed as he tried to get the overgrown puppy off him

"He's not getting off anytime soon. You can try, but you'll fail miserably, and you'll find out that they have a tendency of exploding!" exclaimed the hollow

_She then snapped her fingers, and the dog that was on Shizuku exploded!_

"Oh no! New guy!" exclaimed Sado

"Shizuku!" I exclaimed

"Heh heh heh, I'm just getting started." Said the hollow

"How in the world did she do that?" asked Sado

"You haven't figured that out yet? They're remote doggie bombs. Diabolical, aren't they? They love me so much; they just can't help but do what mommy asks them to do." Said the hollow

_Chad then stood up and stood in front of the hollow._

"You want some more, tough guy? Well first off, I have someone here who you might want to see." Said the hollow

_She then revealed Setsuna's bird cage! Oh no!_

"Huh?" wondered Sado

"The parakeet. So that's where the hollow was before, grabbing the parakeet as a hostage." Said Shizuku

"You can say that again." I said

"I'm so sorry sir. I was trying to call for you." Said Setsuna

"It's okay." Said Sado

"Ha! And with three of my doggies on the birdcage, all three of you will do what I say, because if they explode, there won't be enough of your little friend left to spread on a cracker. Now for a new game, muscle head stays put while I play tag with the Soul Reapers." Said the hollow

_Shizuku then got up._

"Do as she says. Don't think for a second that she won't blow up the bird. At least the chase will take him away from here, so you'll be safe." Said Shizuku

"But what about you new guy?" asked Sado

"I'll be fine. Don't worry." Said Shizuku

"Good luck." Said Sado

"Thanks." Said Shizuku

_Shizuku and I then began to run off while the hollow and her lackeys began to chase us. Shizuku gave the signal to split up, and the hollow chased him, stupid woman, and I'm not trying to be racist. After a few minutes, I followed the path Shizuku went on, and when the Hollow's guard was down, I landed a punch on the hollow's head, and it looked like Shizuku got a few more of those dogs on him._

"Perfect timing Karen." Said Shizuku

"Next time we plan out something like this, don't take any unnecessary risks." I said

"You know, if I didn't know any better, I'd say you care about me." Said Shizuku

"Heh, I guess I do." I said

"Hello? How long are you going stand on my head? Oh yes, we did never introduce ourselves, did we? Just who are you?" asked the hollow

_I jumped just as she got up. I then landed right in front of Shizuku._

"Karen Tsukimori, fifteen years old, substitute Soul Reaper. And if you really want to know who I am, I'm the girl who's gonna kick your ass into the ground." I said

"Substitute Soul Reaper, eh? Crap, I screwed up. When the two of you split up back there, I should've gone after you!" exclaimed the hollow

_Some more dogs appeared, and the hollow snapped her fingers._

"Karen!" exclaimed Shizuku

He pushed my soul out of my body just as the dogs exploded. With the ensuing confusion, I managed to draw my zanpaku-to just as the hollow was about to attack us.

"You're too slow, but I can tell that your soul is gonna be tasty." Said the hollow

"After all that Setsuna's been through, you still dare to chase her relentlessly? You're gonna pay." I said

"The only price I'm paying is indigestion after I finish eating two more souls." Said the hollow

_After Shizuku took my body to a safe place, I had to deal with the stupid hollow. Even if I sliced the dogs, they would still explode! Talk about ingenious. I hope that terrorists don't think of that._

"Ha-ha! Take that you rookie reaper! Huh?" wondered the hollow

_She didn't count on me dodging the things. I had my zanpaku-to next to her throat._

"Tell me, before I slice and dice you, you killed Setsuna's father when you were alive, didn't you? You might as well admit it, because either way, you're going to die." I said

_Shizuku's P.O.V._

"Is that true?" I asked

"I'm afraid it's all my fault. I… I just wanted to bring my dad back to life." Said Setsuna

"Setsuna." Said Sado

"I didn't mean for those people to get hurt. If I had known about that, I would've never had done it. All I wanted was just to see, my father again. I'm sorry." Said Setsuna

"But who told you that whooper of a lie?" I asked

_Karen's P.O.V._

"I did." Said the hollow

"You bitch!" I exclaimed

"Yes, I killed the girl's father back when I was alive. You might've heard about me. I was all over the T.V., the radio, everywhere, along with my partner. We were famous serial killers. They never would've caught us because we were too smart. We'd still be out there hunting today, but as luck would have it, but as it turned out, that brat's father was going to be my last kill. He was a dreamy one. No matter how many times I stabbed him, he kept protecting the girl. But, when the girl lured me to the balcony, she tied my shoelaces, and I lost my balance, so I fell over the railing, twenty stories down. Who would've thought that a kid would be my end? Suddenly, I was dead, I was pissed, and I wanted payback, so I stuck the brat's soul into that bird. Then I made her a deal, if she ran from me for three months in that bird form, I'd bring her precious daddy back to life." Said the hollow

"How could you do that?" I asked

"I couldn't you dumbass! Bring a dead person back to life? Nothing, nobody could've brought him back to life after what I did to him. I just said it to get the brat to play along. And it worked like a charm too. She runs from me and I get the thrill of the chase. Not only that, there's the added pleasure of slaughtering everyone who tries to help her! And every time she squeals and begs me 'Don't hurt them' and wants to quit our little game, that's when I use my clincher. Daddy's waiting for you to save him. What a laugh! But it always works, and she's off running again! 'Daddy! Daddy!' Hahahahahaha! But enough about me, now it's time to kill you!" exclaimed the hollow who took off into the air

_I sliced one of the dogs that came after me, and took a part of it in my hand that didn't hold my zanpaku-to._

"Your defense is weak Soul Reaper!" exclaimed the hollow

_I then stuck the leg on her hand, the one used to detonate the dogs._

"Here, take your stupid bomb back!" I exclaimed

_She paused, not knowing what to do._

"What's wrong? Aren't you going to detonate it now? Go ahead, just snap your fingers. But, if you aren't going to use it, then it's useless!" I exclaimed as I sliced off the hollow's right arm

"My arm! You little bitch!" exclaimed the hollow

"Now you know how Setsuna's father felt, helpless when you went after him. With the power of the moon that encompasses this blade, I shall banish you, where you belong!" I exclaimed as I sliced the mask of the hollow

_Those words flowed through my head just like the first time I became a Soul Reaper, however, something strange was happening to the hollow. Unlike the last hollows Shizuku and I took care of, this one didn't disappear to the Soul Society. Some kind of weird gate appeared behind her, and I got the chills looking at it._

"Don't worry, they're the gates of the underworld, but they're opening only for her. The zanpaku-to can only wash away sins a soul has committed as a hollow. Those who commit terrible crimes while alive go to the underworld." Said Shizuku

_The gates of hell then took her to the underworld, and disappeared, until who knows when._

"So that's the underworld." I said

_Later on, in the evening hours, Shizuku was trying to find Setsuna's Chain of Fate, but with no avail._

"What's wrong?" I asked

"I'm afraid there's nothing I can do. Her Chain of Fate has been severed. There's no sign of it. Without it, there's no way I can return her to her body." Said Shizuku

"Oh no." said Setsuna

"Setsuna." Said Sado

"Don't be sad. The Soul Society is a wonderful place that's very peaceful. You'll be happy there. You'll never be hungry, and you'll never grow old. In fact, it's a much better place to live than in this world." Said Shizuku

"What are you? Some kind of sales pitch?" I asked

"What was that?" asked Shizuku

"Oh nothing, but I think you're missing the point. When you pass over, you'll be reunited with your father, and this time, it's not a lie. Maybe we can't bring him back to life, but he is on the other side waiting for you." I said

"Karen." Said Shizuku

_Setsuna then looked at Chad._

"Sado? Thank you for everything you've did for me and Yuichi. You carried us everywhere in your arms, you kept us safe, and you've even had the courage to face against that monster even though you couldn't see it." Said Setsuna

"Hey, don't even mention it." Said Sado

"I guess it's time for me to go now. I don't know what else there is to say except 'thank you', all of you." Said Setsuna

_Her spirit appeared behind her, and she looked like she was about 13 years old. She had short purple hair and red eyes. She was wearing a red shirt with a royal blue jacket and a royal blue skirt. She was also wearing a pair of sneakers._

"Setsuna? Someday when I die and pass over too, would it with you if sometimes I carried you around again?" asked Sado

"Mm-hmm! I'd like that." Said Setsuna

We all smiled, all in a day's work for a Soul Reaper.

"Well then Setsuna, if you're ready, let's begin the Konso." I said

_Shizuku's P.O.V._

_After Karen performed the Konso, I was taking a walk to clear my head when I saw Rukia._

"Rukia." I said

"Huh? Shizuku. What are you doing here?" asked Rukia

"I could ask the same for you." I said

"I have a place nearby, that's why I'm out here." Said Rukia

"I see. Rukia, you gave Ichigo Kurosaki Soul Reaper powers, didn't you?" I asked

"What makes you think…" started Rukia

"You know how I am with Spirit Ribbons, there's no point in hiding it. His Spirit Ribbon is red." I said

"*Sigh* Yes, Ichigo is a Soul Reaper, who has all of my Soul Reaper powers through an accident. What about Karen? You're hanging around her a lot." Said Rukia

"She has half of my powers. I can't return to the Soul Society until I've regained them, otherwise, Captain Ichimaru will kill me." I said

"Then we're both in the same boat. Tell you what, I promise not to tell Ichigo that Karen's a Soul Reaper, but in return, you must promise not to tell Karen that Ichigo's a Soul Reaper and that I've lost all of my Soul Reaper powers." Said Rukia

"You got a deal Rukia. Take care of yourself. I have a feeling; things are going to get interesting around here." I said

_**Done and done! Whew, this took a while, but I did it. Anyhow, please review, check out my poll, and until next time, I'm sakuraphoenix, saying I heart you, signing off for now. Kan dao ni!**_


	6. Karen Vs Karen

Chapter 6: Karen Vs. Karen

_**Hey everyone! What's up? It's me, sakuraphoenix, and I'm back with a brand new chapter! I know, I know, I've been meaning to update, but I've been busy as heck! The end of the quarter just past, but on the bright side, I'm on spring break, which means more updates! Well, enough of me holding you guys back, time for the disclaimer.**_

_**Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach or Shizuku. Credit goes to LyokoWarrior1994**_

_**This is going to start in Shizuku's P.O.V., and enjoy!**_

_I was sitting on the roof of Karen's home. I was taking a look at my memory replacement device, and I saw that there wasn't much left of it._

"Not much of it is left." I said

_My gigai was still okay, thankfully I come prepared._

"Everything's good here. I guess it's time to go and do some shopping." I said

_The next morning… Karen's P.O.V._

_I was walking up to my room with two rice balls and some hash browns. I don't know if they have hash browns in the Soul Society, but I bet that Shizuku would like to have something familiar._

"Shizuku, I brought you some breakfast! Open up in there!" I exclaimed as I knocked the door to my closet

_There was some silent, and my patience was running thin._

"HEY!-! I said breakfast! Do you want this food or not?-!" I exclaimed as I opened the door

_He wasn't here, and the pajamas he stole from Kazuki were here, folded up._

"He's not here. Perfect, so where did he go now? That's just great. That idiot." I said before I began to eat the rice balls

_After I finished, I was about to walk out the door when I heard Kazuki talking._

"An impressionable girl. Young and in the springtime of her youth would only barricade herself in her room for one reason. And one reason only." Said Kazuki

_That's it, this means war. I then threw a punch at his face, and he fell to the ground, and well, it hurt, a lot._

"Knock it off! Quit analyzing me you pervert, and stop jumping to conclusions while you're at it." I said

"What's the matter Karen? It's just because of your uncle isn't it? What's wrong with a little family understanding?" asked Kazuki

"Understanding my ass!" I exclaimed as we began going toe-to-toe

"You know, your breakfast is going to get cold." Said Homura

_Shizuku's P.O.V._

_I was walking to the shop where I bought some of the supplies I needed here in the World of the Living when I saw Rukia._

"I think we have this habit of running into each other Rukia." I said

"Shizuku. Morning." Said Rukia

"Morning yourself. So, why are you heading this way?" I asked

"I'm almost out of power for my memory replacement device and my gigai's been slowing down." Said Rukia

"I see. Same with me, well, minus the gigai part." I said

_The walk was silent after that, until we saw the redheaded kid bully the girl, again. Rukia grabbed the broom he was holding._

"Huh? Who are you? Oh." Said the kid

"You just never change, do you little one? So is your manager in yet?" asked Rukia

_There was a moment of silence._

"Hmph, come on in." said the kid

_The kid opened the door, and let us in. We then saw what's-his-name, Tessai?_

"Miss Kuchiki and the third seat of the third company. Just give me a minute, I'll go and see if the boss is up and moving yet." Said Tessai

"*Yawn* Don't bother, I'm already awake, for once. *Yawn* Good morning Tessai, Jinta, Ururu. Welcome back to my shop Miss Kuchiki and you Shizuku. Your timings couldn't be more perfect. I just got a new shipment in the other day. How can I help you this afternoon?" asked Kisuke

_Later…_

"One kikanshinki for the both of you. Oh, uh, what grade?" asked Kisuke

"I'll take the cheapest you got." Said Rukia

"Same." I said

"You got it. So, that makes 60 tablets of Somafixer, and um, look, I know this is none of my business, but if you use too much of this stuff Miss Kuchiki, it can be toxic. If you over synchronize with your gigai, you're in for a world of hurt when you finally jump-shift." Said Kisuke

"Yes, I'm aware of that, believe me; it's just that lately my connection with it has grown pretty weak. It's becoming a lot more difficult to move this body." Said Rukia

"Want me to check it out for ya? Come on, I'll cut you a good deal." Said Kisuke

"No thank you!" exclaimed Rukia

"Fine." Said Kisuke

"Speaking of deals, has my order come in yet?" I asked

"Oh yeah, I placed an order too. Has it arrived?" asked Rukia

"Oh. Yeah, they're here. Hey Ururu, go grab it out of storage, will ya?" asked Kisuke

"Oh, uh, okay." Ururu said before she ran to the back

"Just look for the box labeled 'new item', okay?" asked Kisuke

_She was in there for a while, and she came back out with two substitute soul pill orders. We each opened them up, but the one I got wasn't the one I ordered._

"So these are the only ones you could get then?" asked Rukia

"Oh please, give me a break; those are the second most popular ones on the market. Wasn't all that easy to come by. Now look Miss Kuchiki. Just go easy, you can't fake it forever, alright?" asked Kisuke

"Yes, I know that." Said Rukia

_Later, Karen's P.O.V._

"Good morning. Hello everyone, how are you?" asked Shizuku

"Hmm?" I wondered

"Oh hey, good morning Shizuku." Said Tatsuki

"This isn't like you, it's already third period." Said Orihime

"Sorry, something came up. By the way, Karen, um, may I steal you for a second?" asked Shizuku

"Huh? What do you want? If you just want to talk, why not do it here?" I asked

_He then socked me in the stomach, thus knocking the wind out of me. That's it, when I get the wind back in me; I'm going to kill him!_

"Oh Karen! What just happened? I better take you to the nurse's office, stat!" exclaimed Shizuku, faking concern

_In the courtyard…_

"Here." Shizuku said while tossing some kind of Pez dispenser to me

"What's this supposed to be?" I asked

"Gikongan, substitute Soul Pills, tablets that force souls from the flesh. Just swallow one, and a substitute soul will enter the body so the real one can roam free. If the time comes that you must face a Hollow and I'm not around, you can use them to transform into a Soul Reaper." Said Shizuku

"Why the hell does it have 'Soul Candy' written on it?" I asked

"Oh. That's only because the Soul Society Women's League complained. They didn't like 'Gikongan'. They said it wasn't cute enough, so they decided to change it." Said Shizuku with a sour look on his face

"But why is it a duck?" I asked

"Shut up! I was trying to get you Chappy the Rabbit. It's the most popular one with the girls." Said Shizuku

"Um, thanks I think for putting my concern over yours, but the fact is, I'm a bit of a tomboy." I said

"Oh." Said Shizuku

"Anyhow, I don't exactly understand your explanation." I said

"Then just take one, and it'll be clear as crystal." Said Shizuku

_I swallowed one of the things, but suddenly, I wasn't feeling so hot, and the next thing I knew, my soul was pushed out of my body._

"Whoa! I'm out of my body!" I exclaimed

"Don't be so shocked. Inside that empty shell of a body there resides a substitute soul, and no one will even notice that your true soul is gone." Said Shizuku

_My body then got up on its own._

"Hello, good afternoon. Nice to meet you, my name is Karen Tsukimori." Said the substitute soul

_My face paled a bit. She/it/whatever was acting nothing like me!_

"Early to bed, early to rise. That's my motto." Said the substitute soul

"Early to bed, early to what?-!" I exclaimed

"Pretty amazing, isn't it?" asked Shizuku

"Amazing my ass! What the hell is that thing over there?-! How can she be me when I'm me?-!" I exclaimed

_Shizuku's soul pager then began beeping. He then opened it._

"Perfect timing. We just got a mission. Why don't we leave her at school, while we head out?" asked Shizuku

"Are you insane?-!" I exclaimed

"Let's go!" exclaimed Shizuku

_He then dragged me away._

"Hey! Wait, they'll know she's a fake! Hey! You! Make sure you attend my next class and keep a low profile!" I exclaimed

"*giggles* Don't worry leave everything to me. Take your time." Said the substitute soul

_Mod Soul's P.O.V. __**(A/N: Yes, I said Mod Soul. Shizuku got that just like Rukia by accident. I'd thought it'd be interesting to see.)**_

_I stretched the limbs of the body I was in and tested the leg strength. Pretty good, for an average girl, but when I tried my arm strength by throwing a few rocks into the air, I was impressed. This girl has some muscle._

"Finally, it feels great. It's been too long since I had a body to move around in. Looks like I'm finally free. Unlike most other mods, I'm pretty sure that girl will kick me to the ground if I'm not careful. I better head to her classroom, but what is it?" I wondered

"Hey you, aren't you Karen Tsukimori from ninth grade group three? What have you been doing here?" asked a male voice

"I was just coming back from the bathroom, and I thought I could take a shortcut back to class. Sorry if I've caused a disturbance." I said

"Okay, then hurry back then Miss Tsukimori." Said the teacher

"Yes sir." I said

_Well, that's a start. I headed back to her classroom, and I sat down in the desk with Karen's name written on it. A bell then rang._

"Alright! At last! Time for lunch!" exclaimed a girl with orange hair

"Geez Orihime, its just lunch. It's not a big deal." Said a girl with black hair

"How can you say that Tatsuki? Everyone knows that a healthy red-blooded high school girl comes to school for only one reason, to eat her lunch." Said Orihime

"Yeah, yeah. I get it. Have a seat already." Said Tatsuki

"Hey Karen, want to eat with us?" asked Orihime

"Um, sure I guess." I said

_I have to act like I'm Karen Tsukimori._

"So Tatsuki, Karen, what did you two have for lunch today? I've got bread and red bean paste." Said Orihime

"That sounds good. Unfortunately, my lunch is a little more ordinary." Said Tatsuki

_I looked at Karen's lunch and it was some kind of thing with onions, meat, and greens. She also had a water bottle and some tomatoes._

"Wow. You brought quiche for your lunch. You're lucky you have time to cook, even with your uncle driving you nuts all the time." Said Tatsuki

"Yeah, I guess." I said

"Orihime, why don't you and I eat together?" asked a girl with red hair

"Yeah. Okay." Said Orihime

_She then lunged at Orihime. Wow, humans are something._

"That's so cute! You bite into an entire loaf of bread and smile with crumbs all over your mouth!" exclaimed the girl

_I then sensed something, but it wasn't a Hollow, a ghost, or a Soul Reaper. But just what was it I was sensing? Just then, I saw a boy with orange hair and brown eyes jump up from the ground, and he was what I was sensing! Another Mod Soul!_

"Excuse me, this is the ninth grade class group three, right?" asked the boy

_Karen's P.O.V._

_I charged in, zanpaku-to drawn, and took out the stupid Hollow._

"Oh boy, I'm getting a bad feeling." I said

_Mod Soul's P.O.V. __**(A/N: Yes, I don't mean Kon. I'd never write in his point of view for a good reason)**_

"Wait a second! How the hell did you get up here like that?" exclaimed Tatsuki

"What do you mean how? I jumped up here. You saw with your own eyes didn't ya? Well, pretty rad, huh? Can you believe it?" asked the male mod soul

"I bet he crawled over from the classroom next door." Said a boy

"No way! He jumped up from the yard!" exclaimed another boy

"Did you see him do it?" asked the first boy

"Well, no, I didn't see it." Said the second boy

_I then noticed that he was looking at Orihime, he then jumped over to her._

"Hey there pretty lady. I don't believe that we've met. Will you please do me the honor of telling me your name?" asked the male mod soul before he kissed Orihime's hand

_Oh no! He's going to get not only me, but the person who resides in that body in trouble! The actual soul! I then grabbed his arms._

"Okay you! That's enough! This better not be your sick version of a joke!" I exclaimed trying to get into Karen's behavior

"Hey you're pretty cute yourself now that I get a closer look at ya." Said the male mod soul

_He then kissed me on the cheek, and now I was mad as hell. I let go of his arms, and punched him into the wall. Uh-oh, I think I used too much in that punch, because he was flying out the window._

_Meanwhile, Karen's P.O.V._

"Why are we in such a rush to get back to class?" asked Shizuku

"I'm worried, and I have damage control to take care of! I want to make sure she's doing okay!" I exclaimed

"There's nothing to worry about. She's fine." Said Shizuku

"I'm not so sure about that. I'm getting a bad feeling all of a sudden." I said

_I then heard screams and then, I saw Ichigo getting either punched out or pushed out of the classroom. But surprisingly, he was okay, and landed on his feet. He then jumped back up. Did I see that correctly?_

"So you were right. Like you were saying, we better hurry." Said Shizuku

"Told ya so." I said

_I then saw a desk being thrown out, and this time, Ichigo jumped out of the window, landed on his feet, and ran. I then saw, wait, I'm not seeing things, am I? Did I just see Rukia and Ichigo chase after… Ichigo? And was he in a Soul Reaper uniform? Okay, I'm probably seeing things. Ichigo is so not a Soul Reaper. Shizuku ran inside the building and I waited for the signal. Soon enough, I heard it._

"Karen! Now!" exclaimed Shizuku

"Right!" I exclaimed as I jumped into the air

_The substitute soul stopped dead in her tracks._

"Stop right there. There's no place to run now." I said

_She looked behind her, and then decided to go toe-to-toe with me. I had to dodge my own punches! I had to be careful, after all, this is my body we're talking about here. But she did manage to catch me off guard a couple of times. Soon enough, I was in the air, and she punched me through a row of desks! This is going to be sore in the morning._

"See ya. Wouldn't wanna be ya." Said the substitute soul

_She then jumped out of the window, used her hands, I mean, my hands, as support for herself, and then took off. She was definitely faster than me._

"What the hell does she think she's doing? Is she crazy or what?" I wondered out loud

"Is it even possible? No, she couldn't be one. She must be a… mod soul!" exclaimed Shizuku

_We then tried to chase her/me/it/whatever, but we soon lost it._

"Aw crap! Great we lost her, I mean, me, I mean, it, oh whatever!" I exclaimed

"We're at a dead end here." Said Shizuku

"What?-! Look! We don't have time for your Soul Reaper nonsense! I have to capture her, I mean me, I mean well, I'm not sure what I mean! But you saw it too! She/it/whatever p-p-p…" I started

"Yes, she punched Ichigo out of the window." Said Shizuku

"Oh man! Ichigo is gonna hate my guts for sure tomorrow! This sucks! My life is over!" I exclaimed

"Get over it already. I'm sure that Ichigo probably knows that it wasn't you." Said Shizuku

"You make it sound like Ichigo's a Soul Reaper! Well newsflash, he's not! ARGH! I put years into crafting that image onto other people and there are very few who know the real me!" I exclaimed

"So you act and talk that way on purpose? But what about when you're around me?" asked Shizuku

"I guess… when I'm around you, I feel comfortable revealing who I really am. But… just forget it. It doesn't matter. You called her a mod soul, right? Just what is it?" I asked

"A while back, the Soul Society initiated a new project they called 'spearhead'." Said Shizuku

"Spearhead?" I asked

"Yes. They took souls that had been modified for combat and placed them into the dead after their own souls had parted. They were to be used as soldiers against the Hollows. It was a reprehensible plan. All of the souls that were selected to take part in the Spearhead project were then altered. Once inside a body, one aspect of their host is made superhuman. An artificial soul built for battle, a mod soul. The spearhead project was rejected because it would force corpses to fight. In the end, all of the mod, or modified souls that were still in the incubation stages were ordered to be destroyed. However, it seems some are still out there." Said Shizuku

"Hold the phone, you mean the girl inside my body was created by the Soul Society, and now they've decided they want her wiped out for being what they made her?" I asked

"That's exactly what I'm saying." Said Shizuku

"And… and you're telling me you can honestly accept that?-!" I exclaimed

"Whether I accept it or not is irrelevant. The mod souls must be destroyed. The Soul Society commanded it, and lest you forget, the laws of the Soul Society are not arbitrary. They've been put in place for the protection and well being of all human souls. Now let's go! You want to get your body back, don't you?" asked Shizuku

_As Shizuku and I were running, I wondered how she must feel, walking around inside my body, even though she was created and then given a death sentence. But somehow she survived, and she found her way to a body. But still, she has to keep running. I can't imagine what that must be like for her._

_Mod Soul's P.O.V._

"I think I lost them. *pant-pant* Even though I was just taking over her body, even if for a moment, how long must I keep running, running from my fate?" I asked out loud

_I then noticed a few boys doing something, so I walked over to them, and watched silently._

"Man, this is so much better than Phys. Ed. What a waste of time." Said one of the three boys

"Yeah, this is a great way to ditch class." Said another one of the three boys

_They were playing some kind of game, and it looked like one of them lost._

"Dang! I can't believe I lost again! What's wrong with you? Get him! I created you, didn't I? Now do what I tell ya!" exclaimed the first boy

"Just kill it off." Said a third boy

_What did he just say?_

"Yeah, totally. Anyone who doesn't obey their master should die." Said the first boy

"Geez, you destroyed him." Said the third boy

"So what? I'll just make a better one." Said the first boy

_The boys then laughed about it, and I clenched my fists in anger. Then, the mod soul from earlier who kissed my cheek showed up and smashed one of the boy's game systems. I was going to do the same thing myself, however the Soul Reaper then showed up. I guess wanting to give those boys a piece of mind will have to wait._

_**Done and done! Whew, this took me a while. Anyhow, please review, check out my poll, and until next time, I'm sakuraphoenix, saying I heart you, signing off for now. Kan dao ni!**_


	7. Greetings from a Stuffed Toy

Chapter 7: Greetings from a Stuffed Toy

_**Hey everyone! I'm back with the latest chapter of Spirits of the Past! Spring break is almost over, and I'm not happy about it. On the plus side, it means that I now have summer vacation to look forward to! Anyhow, disclaimer time!**_

_**Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach. I also do not own Shizuku. Credit goes to Lyokowarrior1994**_

_**Enjoy!**_

_Right now, I was facing the Mod Soul right in front of me who hijacked my body. I learned the hard way that her punches are a force to be reckoned with. Maybe I should start working on my leg work too. She started going on the offensive, and I was just dodging the attacks._

"If I stay calm, I should be able to predict every move you got." I said

_She kept throwing punches at me, but she left a wide opening in which she couldn't dodge. Eventually, I grabbed onto her/my arm, and flung her. She landed on her feet like a cat. She then ran off._

"Hold it you!" I exclaimed

"Karen, wait! We have an order." Said Shizuku

"What?-! You've gotta be kidding me!" I exclaimed

"We got a Hollow alert here. We have to leave now!" exclaimed Shizuku

"WHAT?-! Right now?-!" I exclaimed

"Let's move!" exclaimed Shizuku

_Mod Soul's P.O.V. (__**A/N: You'll learn her name soon**__)_

_I was running away from that Soul Reaper, hoping that she wasn't following me. And that really stunk. I was enjoying the freedom I have, and those kids ruined it! That Soul Reaper didn't help either!_

"Huh? It's a Hollow. It feels like it's going to that school I was just at. Who's it going to attack? Those kids?" I wondered

_Karen's P.O.V._

_Shizuku and I were running to find the hollow, but he then stopped._

"What is it now?" I asked

"My Soul Pager, there's something the matter with it." Said Shizuku

"What?-!" I exclaimed

"Is the battery dead?" wondered Shizuku

"You didn't recharge it?-! Next time, do that instead of wishing for Chappy the Rabbit!" I exclaimed

"Now I can't figure out where that Hollow is." Said Shizuku

"Just our luck!" I exclaimed

_Mod Soul's P.O.V._

_I was at the school, and I attacked one of the two Hollows that showed up. The other Mod Soul kicked the other hollow to the ground._

"It's that guy again! Hey, why'd you push us down?" asked a boy with glasses

"Hey! It's that high school student from earlier!" exclaimed a boy with a practically bald head

"Run! Get out of here!" I exclaimed

_The first mod soul attacked the Hollow with a centipede-like body, but he was careless and got hurt. The second Hollow attacked me, but I kept using my fists as a shield to protect myself, but even human hands can get hurt._

"Did you see that?-!" exclaimed the boy with glasses

_By this time, this body's knuckles were coated with blood. The boys soon ran away. I lured the Hollow to another location in order to fight it._

_Karen's P.O.V._

_Shizuku and I were running back the way we came, thanks to those Spirit Ribbons Shizuku always talked about. I then noticed something at the school we were just at._

"What's that?" I wondered

"There's the Hollow!" exclaimed Shizuku

"Yeah, I see it." I said

_I then saw the substitute soul fighting the Hollow._

"She's there too." Said Shizuku

"That idiot!" I exclaimed

_I then ran to get that Hollow._

"Hold it! Wait Karen! Don't go!" exclaimed Shizuku

_Sorry Shizuku, but I need to make sure my body is okay. The Hollow was about to attack her, when I used my zanpaku-to to slice its tentacles into sushi!_

"Hey, what the? Why are you helping me?" asked the mod soul

_I grabbed her/me by the collar._

"Look you, those are my clothes and body that you're messing up! If you can't fight without getting hurt, then don't fight at all!" I exclaimed

"What is your problem?-! I had to fight him because you were late. If I had waited for you, those kids would've become this Hollow's lunch!" exclaimed the mod soul

"Shut up. Aren't you supposed to be some bad ass Mod Soul?" I asked

"I'll eat you both!" exclaimed the Hollow

_The Hollow came charging at us, but the mod soul punched it in the face as I sliced it with the zanpaku-to_

"Eat this!" I exclaimed

_That effectively sliced the hollow in two, but the Mod Soul then punched it into the air just as it was about to disappear, and she was about to fall! I then grabbed her from the collar of my school uniform._

"You dumbass. Why the hell did you do that? Don't you know when you split a Hollow's head in two, it's as good as finished?-! So there was no point in you going to do that!" I exclaimed

_I then noticed there were some people in the school yard playing games. So that's why she did that._

"Why did you save those people?" I asked

"It's a little hard to explain. If I hadn't helped those kids, they would've been killed. No one should have the right to kill anyone. After I was created, the Soul Society sent out an order. They made an announcement that all Mod Souls should be destroyed immediately, so the very day after I was born, I was given a death sentence. I waited, I trembled in fear inside that pill just waiting to die. Day after day I watched helplessly as the others were disposed of. Then I got lucky. I got shipped out with a load of goods by mistake, but I always expected to be discovered, and destroyed. I was alone for what seemed like years. I had quite a while to think about how things should be. And you know what I feel, I decided that no one has the right to take someone's life away. I exist and I should have the right to keep on existing to live my life as long as I want to! Like humans, I deserve that. So I refuse to take a life, that's the reason why I will never kill any living creature." Said the mod soul

_I was just silent at the Mod Soul's confession. She hijacked my body and all, but she does have the right to keep living._

"Well, look who we have here. So finally we find you, and what a picture, you're all beat up and worn out, and all that trouble for nothing." Said the man who walked up to us

_The man used his cane and somehow got the mod soul pill out of my body._

"Mission accomplished. We're done, let's go home." Said the man

"What?-! Come on! I came here to have a real fight and that's all I get?" asked the red-haired boy

"Hold it! What are you going to do with that mod soul now?" I asked

"No choice. I've gotta destroy her." Said the man

"Hold it, you can see me? How is that possible? Just who are you guys anyway?" I asked

"I'm not sure how to answer that question." Said the man

_He tossed the mod soul pill up into the air, and Shizuku caught it._

"I believe that's mine. Thanks." Said Shizuku

"Listen, you can't have that." Said the man

"And why can't I have it Kisuke? Are you saying that it's your policy to seize goods that your customers have already paid for?" asked Shizuku

"Hey, I'll give you a full refund. How does that sound to you?" asked Kisuke

"That's okay. I'm completely satisfied with my purchase, besides, I know and you know that you're operating outside the law. And I also know it's not your job to recall this mod soul." Said Shizuku

"I just hope you know what you're getting involved in, so don't blame me if you get into trouble." Said Kisuke

"I won't. I already dealt with a lot of trouble since I've been here." Said Shizuku

_Shizuku then walked over to me, and gave me the Mod Soul pill._

"Here. Come on, let's go." Said Shizuku

_I stared at it for a while before going back into my body. It was really late now, and my hands were killing me! I don't think I can play a violin for a while!_

"You're really feeling it." Said Shizuku

"Sure am. That Mod Soul really took my body for a pretty rough test drive." I said

_I then pulled out the Mod Soul pill._

"You tried to turn me into road kill! Hey! Are you even listening to me?-!" I exclaimed

"I must say, you look awfully silly yelling at a pill in public." Said Shizuku

"I still want to tell her how I feel! Help me out here Shizuku! Is there a way I can give this damn Mod Soul what's coming to her?" I asked

"Yeah, but you need to insert her into a body, a dead body or one that doesn't have a soul." Said Shizuku

"Ah-ha, I get ya! I'm looking hard for a dead body, and I find it… bam! Oh she's gonna get it!" I exclaimed

"Just be quiet." Said Shizuku

"Hmm? Oh what do we have here? A Manaphy plushie. So let me get this straight, you're saying a non-living object could work for this, right?" I asked

"Hold on, that's not exactly how it works. Then again, I'm in a body that's not a real body." Said Shizuku

"Okay, point's aside, what do I do?" I asked

"I would imagine that you take the pill, and put it in her mouth." Said Shizuku

"You mean like this?" I asked

_I then put the pill in its mouth._

"There." I said

_After a while, nothing happened. I then held the plushie by the antenna, or whatever those things were called on a Manaphy._

"So you got any ideas that might actually work?" I asked

"That should've worked." Said Shizuku

_I held it up, tossed it around a bit, and then spun her around on the antenna._

"Hey! That really hurts you nimrod!" exclaimed the mod soul

_She bopped me on the head. That's it, she's really toast now. She then jumped out of my hand._

"Karen Tsukimori, I hereby challenge you to a no-holds-bar duel!" exclaimed the mod soul

"Count me in." I said

"Hey, wait a minute! When did you get so big?-! Or did I somehow shrink?-! Oh no! I'm in a super-cute plush toy with no legs and a huge head! I have no muscle, just cotton! Not fair!" exclaimed the mod soul

"Yo, mod soul, relax. It's time for some payback for what you did to my body earlier. Your little field trip could've taken me out completely. I need to make you understand." I said

"So what? I'll just have to mop the floor with you the way I am!" exclaimed the mod soul

_She tried, and it was an epic fail. Oh well, at least I have the whole evening to think up a name for her._

_The next day…_

"Hey Karen, it's morning. Rise and shine! Don't try playing dead with me you lazy Soul Reaper wannabe!" exclaimed the mod soul

"Oh yeah! Take this!" I exclaimed as I threw her into the wall

_That probably had to hurt._

"I can't have you starting the day getting all worked up. Make like a real plushie and shut up Mana." I said

"And just where did you come up with that name for me?" asked Mana

"Mana is the name of a character from the original Yu-Gi-Oh series, which I happen to be a fan of, and it's short for Manaphy, the name of the Pokémon plushie you're in." I said

"Hmm… Mana… I like it! It's kinda cute, and it has a nice ring to it." Said Mana

"Hey Karen, morning." Shizuku said as he exited out of the closet

"Hey Karen, are you up? I'm coming in." said Homura

_Shizuku and Mana quickly hid in the closet, and I quickly closed it just to be safe._

"Karen, what are you doing?" asked Homura

"M-me? W-what am I doing? Oh you know, just doing some yoga. Great way to wake up." I said

"I think you need to get an alarm clock. By the way, Orihime and Tatsuki are downstairs waiting for you." Said Homura

"What?-! Wow! Look at what time it is! I gotta get going quick! Oh crap where are my gloves?-!" I exclaimed

"I toasted some toast and put some quiche in your bag for your lunch, so hurry up." Said Homura

_By this time, I was buttoning the buttons on my school uniform and putting the bow on._

"Sorry about that you guys! I just woke up! I'll be right there!" I exclaimed

"It's okay, we'll see you in a minute." Said Orihime

"Yeah! Take your time, but hurry up! We don't want to be late." Said Tatsuki

"Okay!" I exclaimed

_They were acting like nothing happened yesterday. I wonder why._

"Hey." I said

"What is it?" asked Shizuku

"I wonder why Orihime and Tatsuki are acting that nothing's happened." I said

"Oh. Probably the memory replacement device. We don't want them to remember what happened yesterday with Mana." Said Shizuku

"Good point. That's one day I wish I could forget. But… why do I feel like I've forgotten something?" I wondered out loud

_I looked at my watch, and it was June 16__th__. Tomorrow, I wouldn't be in school._

"I'm leaving now Karen. I'll see you at school. Karen? What's wrong?" asked Shizuku

"It's none of your business." I said coldly

_At school…_

_I was working on the art project that I was supposed to do, and I was finishing it up. On one side, I was in a white sleeveless concert dress with roses on the left side holding my violin, and on the other, I was in an attorney's outfit with glasses, which represents my sense of justice._

"Wow, hey yours is pretty good." said Orihime

"Thanks, I guess." I said

_Ichigo then came into the classroom._

"Hey! Good morning Ichigo!" exclaimed Orihime

"Hmm? Hi Orihime. How's it going?" asked Ichigo

_That's weird. Ichigo's never like that._

"Hey morning Karen." Said Ichigo

"I don't want to be bothered Strawberry." I said

"Hey! What have I told you about calling me that?-!" exclaimed Ichigo

"Take a hint! I said leave me alone!" I exclaimed

"You started it when you called me 'strawberry'!" exclaimed Ichigo

"Not my fault you got named a girl's name!" I exclaimed

"Okay you two, break it up!" exclaimed Shizuku

_Ichigo and I glared at each other, and then turned our backs._

_That evening…_

"I'm home!" I exclaimed

"Karen!" exclaimed a female voice

_I saw a flash of blue before I was knocked to the ground. Oh no. Is it their summer vacation already?_

"Umi! Get off!" I exclaimed

"But it's been so long since I saw you Karen!" exclaimed Umi

"Umi, seriously. You don't want to suffocate her, do you?" asked a girl with red hair

"Tsubomi!" I exclaimed

"Long time no see Karen." Said Tsubomi

"It's that time of year again. Tomorrow marks the day they died, and I became temporarily blind." I said

"I know it's hard for you. You lost both of your parents when you were a kid. It's hard, we know. It's not like we lost mom and dad." Said Umi

"I know Umi, but if you were close to death yourself, you'd think different." I said

"Yeah, yeah, we get it. So Karen, do you have a boyfriend yet?" asked Tsubomi

_My face turned red from embarrassment._

"T-T-Tsubomi!" I exclaimed

"If you girls are done, we need to get started on our family meeting for tomorrow. First order is to go over everyone's jobs for tomorrow, and as chairman, I have final say in all decisions!" exclaimed Kazuki

"Dream on Kurogawa." I said

"We are talking about your parents Karen, so show me a little respect!" exclaimed Kazuki

"Whatever." I said

"Alright, Karen, you're in charge of the food for tomorrow." Said Kazuki

"Sounds good." I said

"Tsubomi, Umi, you two will load our packs." Said Kazuki

"Okay." Said Tsubomi

"Sounds good to me." Said Umi

"And Homura and I will be in charge of chaperoning you three to the site!" exclaimed

_After the meeting…_

"That sounded like fun." Said Shizuku

"What do you mean?" I asked

"That family meeting you have with your uncle and those two friends of yours." Said Shizuku

"They're my cousins, not my friends, though I consider Tsubomi to be more than my cousin." I said

"I see. So instead of going to school tomorrow, you guys are having a family picnic. That sounds nice." Said Shizuku

"Hey Shizuku listen, I know I have serious responsibilities as a Substitute Soul Reaper, but… could I… have the day off tomorrow?" I asked

"Huh? Did you just ask me for a day off?-! Are you nuts?-! There is no way! You were acting strange all day! Heck, you started a fight in class that I had to break up! What is wrong with you?-!" exclaimed Shizuku

"It's the anniversary… of my parent's deaths. Or rather… the day they were murdered." I said

_That evening as I lay in bed, I was thinking back to the day my parents died. I was only four years old, so I never really knew the meaning of death. My parents and I were coming back from a concert the two were performing in, and dad crashed into something. I can't forget seeing all of that blood. I was somehow spared from it, but the only thing I saw after the crash was darkness, and that's all I saw for many years. Even the spiritual energies I sensed couldn't see through the darkness that I was forced to see. But… on the day they died, six years ago, something broke the darkness._

_**Done and done! Whew, this one took me a while to write, but above and all, I'm finally done! Please review, check out my poll, and until next time, I'm sakuraphoenix, saying I heart you, signing off for now. Kan dao ni!**_


	8. A Memory in Rain

Chapter 8: A Memory in Rain

_**Hey everyone! It's me sakuraphoenix, and I'm back with a new chapter! I know that you've been waiting, but I've been hounded like nuts! I just survived my AP US History AP Test, and I have another AP Test coming up, like AP English Lang! It's driving me nuts! I'm lucky that I have the time to update. Anyhow, time for the disclaimer**_

_**Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach. I also do not own Shizuku. He belongs to my friend LyokoWarrior1994**_

_**Enjoy!**_

_We were all climbing the hill that would lead to the cemetery._

"Oh man, we're never getting to the top." Said Umi

"Speak for yourself, just don't let dad hear you." Said Tsubomi

"You can do it Umi! Hang in there! You see, your dad's on your side!" Kazuki exclaimed while doing a handstand

_Sheesh, get a life Kurogawa._

"Avoid eye contact. That'll only get him motivated." I said

"You're wrong about that Karen. I don't need motivation, because I'm self-motivated!" exclaimed Kazuki

_He ran on his hands, and slipped on the ground. Now I was ticked, because he was about 5 inches away from me at this point._

"Oh yeah, well this says, 'Get a life'!" I exclaimed as I punched him in the face

_He then landed on… Ichigo's dad? Looks like Karin just kicked him, hard. They both went tumbling down the hill at this point._

"Now we can walk in peace for a while." Said Karin

"Hey! Ichigo!" I exclaimed

"Huh? Karen, what are you doing here?" asked Ichigo

"It's the anniversary of my parent's deaths." I said sadly

"I see. It's the anniversary of my mom's death. That's why I'm here." Said Ichigo

"I see. But you gotta admit, it's really hot today for the middle of June." I said

"Someone's up there already." Said Karin

"They must've gotten up pretty early to beat us to the top." Said Tsubomi

_Good thing Ichigo and I were behind them, because we started freaking out! What the heck was Rukia and Shizuku doing here?-! Couldn't they have been more inconspicuous?-!_

"They're awfully happy for someone visiting a grave." Said Umi

"They're waving like they know you." Said Yuzu

"Uh-nuh! No way! No, no, no, nope! Never seen them before!" Ichigo and I exclaimed in unison

"There is something familiar about them. I wonder if I've seen them somewhere before." Said Karin

"Oh yeah! Now I remember! I met him in Junior High! We were like brother and sister! I'm gonna talk to him and set him straight. You guys go to mom and dad's graves without me." I said

_I ran up to Shizuku, and dragged him far, far away from my cousin's and Ichigo's family._

"What are you doing following me here Shizuku?" I asked

"Isn't it obvious? You need my help in case a Hollow shows up. You sure can't handle it yourself." Said Shizuku

"Oh yeah? Well way to go with keeping a low profile. I'm sure that Umi and Tsubomi think that you're my boyfriend by now." I said while my face turned pale

"I suppose I could've been more discrete, but I just didn't think." Said Shizuku

"*Sigh* Alright, I'll let it slide. So, what are you so upset about?" I asked

"Actually, I'm not upset about anything." Said Shizuku

"Um, okay?" I said confused

"I wanted to know more about your parents' deaths. You said they were murdered." Said Shizuku

"Drop it." I said

"But you never said who killed them." Said Shizuku

"Listen, that's my personal stuff I don't want others to know about." I said

"When I first met you, you mentioned that you could sense ghosts from a young age. Karen, I need you to answer one more question. Your mother and father, could they have been killed by… a Hollow?" asked Shizuku

_My eyes widened in surprise._

"Do you think that's possible? If your spiritual capabilities were that high as a child then…" started Shizuku

"SHUT THE HELL UP!" I exclaimed with my eyes closed

"What?" wondered Shizuku

"Why does it have to be 'Hollow this' and 'Hollow that' with you anyway? You'll never understand the pain and suffering I have to live with every single day. Do you know what it's like… with your earliest memory being the sight of blood? Seeing your mother's lifeless face in front of you when you were four years old? Of course not, because you don't know what it's like to be me! You don't even have a mother or father, do you? I don't remember what happened that day, but I'm goddamn sure that it wasn't a Hollow that killed them! I… I may have been responsible for their deaths." I said with tears running down my face

_I then just started to run. I didn't know where I was going, but I just wanted to be alone._

"Wait Karen!" exclaimed Shizuku

_Shizuku's P.O.V._

_I was sitting on the ledge that was overlooking the cemetery. I couldn't believe what she had said to me._

"Karen killed her own parents? No, she couldn't have. No four-year-old could've willingly put her own parents in danger." I said

_*Flashback*_

"_Do you know what it's like… with your earliest memory being the sight of blood? Seeing your mother's lifeless face in front of you when you were four years old? Of course not, because you don't know what it's like to be me! You don't even have a mother or father, do you?" asked Karen_

_*End Flashback*_

"I can't believe she said those things. I must've really touched a nerve." I said

_I then heard the zipper of the bag I was carrying unzip._

"Shizuku! Is the coast clear?" asked Mana

"What are you doing? I told you to stay in there until I said so, and yes, the coast is clear." I said

"Come on Shizuku, give me a break. I could barely breathe inside that thing. I needed oxygen. Besides, Karen wants to be left alone today, doesn't she?" asked Mana

"I told you before. It's my duty to always stay by her side in case a Hollow shows up." I said

"You're sounding like a broken record. It's always 'Hollow this', 'Hollow that', and 'Hollow whatever' with you. No wonder Karen got steamed." Said Mana

_I then stood up, because I sensed something. Mana was surprised by my actions, but she sensed what I was sensing too. In a matter of moments, I saw a figure with brown hair and eyes, wearing square-framed glasses, and a white hatori coat over a Soul Reaper's Shihakusho. I only knew one man who looks like that and is a captain._

"C-Captain Aizen." I stuttered

"It's been a while, Shizuku." Said Aizen

_By this point, Mana had snuck away, leaving me with Aizen._

_Karen's P.O.V._

_I really said some harsh things to Shizuku just now. I didn't mean some of them. I have to apologize, but I really don't remember what happened that day. I loved my mom and dad so much, back when I was so little, I just felt safe with them, but over the passage of time… I forgot their faces. I sat down on the ground as my tears began to fall. I soon felt something soft on my shoulders. Mana, what the heck are you doing?_

"I really do not have time for this, you hear me… wha?" I wondered out loud

_It wasn't Mana. It was some lion plushie. I was taking a good look at it, and it suddenly screamed._

"AH! It's the monster! Ichigo… help me!" exclaimed the plushie

_It got out of my grasp and ran away. Did it just say 'Ichigo'?_

"Why do I have a feeling that's another Mod Soul?" I wondered out loud

"Karen! You gotta help!" exclaimed a familiar female voice

_And from above me, Mana fell._

"Karen! Shizuku's in trouble! A captain from the Soul Society came to get him!" exclaimed Mana

"Where is he?" I asked

_Shizuku's P.O.V._

"The others are getting a little ticked with you and Rukia Kuchiki. They want to know why you're still here." Said Aizen

"I'm here because there are still hollows that need to be taken care of, is that a problem Captain Aizen?" I asked

"That doesn't explain why you're dressed as a high school student." Said Aizen

"Got a problem with what I wear?" I asked

"No, it just means that you're having some better judgments Shizuku. I saw you with that human girl earlier, Karen right?" asked Aizen

"What's that got to do with anything?-!" I exclaimed

"I'm just saying that maybe she's the reason as to why you've stayed here in the World of the Living. If she's not, then you have a lot of explaining to do Mister…" started Aizen

_He was cut off by the sound of footsteps, running to boot. Oh no. Please, don't be Karen._

_Karen's P.O.V._

_I was running as fast as my legs could carry me to the place where Mana described. I hope I'm not too late._

"Shizuku!" exclaimed Mana

"Shizuku! You alright?-!" I exclaimed

_I stopped, and I recognized the man in front of me. So this is that Aizen guy who Sakura was so cautious about. I'm getting a bad vibe from him, and I guess I knew where Ren got it from._

"So, let me guess, you're the infamous Captain Sosuke Aizen, aren't you?" I asked

"And how do you know that human?" asked Aizen

"Oh Shizuku's told me a bit about you. Can't say it's all good." I lied

"So you can see me and hear me. You have very high potential." Said Aizen

"Mana." I said

"Yeah?" asked Mana

"I have a feeling we're about to get into a scuffle." I said

"Wait, what?-!" exclaimed Mana

"So, tell me about yourself. What's your occupation?" asked Aizen

"Don't say it!" exclaimed Shizuku

"I'm just a high school student. A high school student and a Substitute Soul Reaper." I said

"Did I actually hear you right? A Soul Reaper? If there's a punch line, I'm waiting for it, because you can't be serious." Said Aizen

"Oh hell yeah I'm serious." I said

"I see. Shizuku, that's a Capital One offense right there." Said Aizen

"What is he talking about?" I asked

"Maybe it's for the best, if I just took your life right here and now." Said Aizen

"What?-!" I exclaimed

_He drew his zanpaku-to, and I was dodging like nuts! He's fast!_

"Okay you! Time to cough it up!" I exclaimed

"Huh?-!" exclaimed Mana

"No time for this!" I exclaimed

_I dug into the plushie, and found Mana's soul pill. I swallowed it just as Aizen was about to attack. Thankfully, I got out of my body just in time for me to pull out my own zanpaku-to._

"Not bad. You're human, and yet you managed to transform. I'm interested in how you were able to do that." Said Aizen

"It doesn't matter. No one messes with my friend and gets away with it." I said

_My heart felt a twang of pain as I referred to Shizuku as a friend. Did I care for him more than that?_

"Karen, wait, stay out of it! It's my problem, so let me deal with it!" exclaimed Shizuku

"Are you deranged? You know just as well as I do that you don't have your zanpaku-to. Mana! Move it!" I exclaimed

_She jumped into the air as I charged. Thing is, I don't know this Aizen too well, and yet my body just began moving on its own to avoid his attacks. Heck, I even pulled in some Legend of Zelda moves, and he was caught off guard._

"I've had enough of this! Shatter…" started Aizen

_Something told me to close my eyes, and I used a spin attack on his zanpaku-to. When I opened them, his sword was shattered._

"Impossible. How could a lowly human such as you break my zanpaku-to?" wondered Aizen

_I punched him in the face for that. I then heard Shizuku's soul pager beep._

"What's up?" I asked

"It's a Hollow! It's a big one too!" exclaimed Shizuku

_I ran over to him and Mana._

"Where is it?" I asked

"It's close. The spirit energy reading is higher than usual." Said Shizuku

"It's larger than normal Hollows that you can take care of." Said Aizen

_He was looking over Shizuku's shoulder, and I began to panic._

"Do we have to finish this now?-!" I exclaimed

"There's no time! Your cousins may be in danger! Let's go!" exclaimed Shizuku

"Hey! Wait up!" I exclaimed

_Shizuku and I began to run to the location._

"So what did Aizen mean by a Capital One Offense?" I asked

"Forget it. You have your own problems now. My scan showed that the Hollow is near your family." Said Shizuku

"Oh no, not Umi and Tsubomi." I said worried

"Do any of them have high spirit energy?" asked Shizuku

"I don't know. I didn't get to know about that too well. I don't think Tsubomi can." I said

_We then began to run down the stairs._

"I know you want to ask me about my mother and father's deaths, don't you?" I asked

"Would you answer me if I did? To you, it's a deep jagged wound, and if I asked, I'd just be rubbing salt into it. Because of that, I don't know what else to say without bringing that pain back again. I'll wait for now, but when you want to talk about it, when you feel like telling someone, I'll listen." Said Shizuku

"Thanks Shizuku." I said

_We then continued running to the site where the Hollow was. I just hope we're not too late._

_**Done and done! Whew, this took me a while to write, but above and all, I'm finally done! Please review, check out my poll, and until next time, I'm sakuraphoenix, saying I heart you, signing off for now. Kan dao ni!**_


	9. An Unbeatable Enemy

Chapter 9: An Unbeatable Enemy

_**Hey everyone! It's me sakuraphoenix, and I'm back with a new chapter! I know, I suck with updates, but now that it's summer vacation, I have a lot more time to update! I'd love to stay and chat, but I think I should get moving. Onto the disclaimer!**_

_**Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach. I also do not own Shizuku. Credit goes to Lyokowarrior1994**_

_**Enjoy!**_

_I rushed in as I saw the Hollow holding Tsubomi and Yuzu in the air by its tongue. I sliced the tongue of the Hollow, and caught them as they fell. The Hollow was then trying to crush Karin and Umi._

"Karin! Umi!" I exclaimed

"One hostage is all I need. I've been waiting for you Soul Reaper." Said the Hollow

_I gently set down Yuzu and Tsubomi_

"Karen, I…" started Umi

_Both Karin and Umi passed out, and Aizen somehow managed to get behind me and Shizuku._

"Whoa, now that's an ugly one." Said Aizen

"Gee, ya think?" I asked

_There was a girl with black hair in front of us. Under normal circumstances, I would've yelled for her to get out of here, but she's not even human._

"That's Grand Fisher. That's the code name we've given him. He keeps himself invisible, and disguises the lure growing out of its head as a human. Anyone who sees the lure, he knows has high spirit energy and immediately attacks and devours them, thus gaining all of their power. For over 50 years, this Hollow has evaded every Soul Reaper that's gone after him. We know his favorite victims are women." Said Shizuku

"So does that mean that this Hollow may have killed my parents 11 years ago?" I asked

"11 years is a long time, but I do remember this one time I killed two people, a couple. I don't know what their faces looked like, but one of them had red hair and the other blue hair." Said Grand Fisher

"My mom and dad… my mom had red hair and my dad had blue hair. He must've sensed my spirit energy back then." I said

"Karen…" started Shizuku

"You'd been lucky little girl. I sensed your spirit energy, and yet you lived. Perhaps it had been my intention to eat you on the spot for your spirit energy. But there's something about older women. They're just too sweet and lovely for me to pass up." Said Grand Fisher

"Bastard." Said Shizuku

"That's the most disgusting Hollow I've seen in a long time." Said Aizen

_I gripped the handle of my zanpaku-to, and charged at Grand Fisher._

"Umi!" I exclaimed

_My sword hit the ground as Grand Fisher jumped into the air._

"Don't be so reckless you idiot!" exclaimed Shizuku

_It was about to get me with one of its hands, so I jumped back. However, it then spread its fur around me. Gross!_

"I know you're ugly, but up close, you smell 20 times worse!" I exclaimed

"_Disintegrate! You black dog of Rondanini! Look upon yourself with horror and then claw out your own throat! Bakudo number 9! Strike!_" chanted Shizuku

_Grand Fisher then became engulfed in red energy._

"How dare you interfere?-!" exclaimed Grand Fisher

_He somehow managed to knock Shizuku back into… Rukia? What's she doing here?_

"Shizuku, are you okay?" asked Rukia

"Yeah, I'm fine Rukia." Said Shizuku

"Rukia Kuchiki. What a surprise to see you." Said Aizen

"C-captain Aizen!" exclaimed Rukia

"Wait, Rukia! You're a Soul Reaper?-!" I exclaimed

"Enough of that. Now just sit there and watch while I devour these little girls." Said Grand Fisher

"Umi. Karin. Hang on." I said

"Tasty." Said Grand Fisher

"Leave them alone!" I exclaimed

"If you feel so strongly about it, maybe I should just eat you first." Said Grand Fisher

_Aizen then shot a Kido at Grand Fisher, thus cutting off his hand, and freeing me. It was about to get Umi and Karin again, but Aizen and another Soul Reaper protected them. They sacrificed themselves. I then sliced off the hairs piercing them._

"Why? Tell me. Why did you two save me?" I asked

"We're Soul Reapers kid, and we fight Hollows. We fight them without mercy no matter what. When a Hollow attacks at random, and kills someone, that person's loved one are the real victims. They're left with nothing but an emptiness. As a Soul Reaper I couldn't let that happen. We must always protect the innocent." Said Aizen

_He then passed out._

"Hey, get up!" I exclaimed

"Karen, even Soul Reapers aren't immortal. If the injuries are severe enough…" started Shizuku

_Rukia and Shizuku had a look of surprise on their faces, and I heard snoring._

"Wait a minute, they're sleeping! Tell them to get up, or I'll do it for them!" I exclaimed

"Rukia!" exclaimed a male voice

"Shizuku!" exclaimed a familiar female voice

_Mana ran up in my body while… huh? Ichigo? Oh crap!_

"Whoa, these guys look like they're leaking." Said Ichigo

_Okay, Ichigo does not talk like that._

"Hey, you. Guy in Ichigo's body." I said

"Huh? AH! It's the monster!" exclaimed the guy who looked like Ichigo

"I thought so. You're another mod soul, aren't you? So you were on the receiving end of Mana's punch the other day, huh?" I asked

"Wait, so, you didn't punch me?" asked the guy in Ichigo's body

"Yeah, and that was me!" exclaimed Mana

"Kon, take Ichigo's sisters and run." Said Rukia

"And Mana, take Karen's cousins and hide." Said Shizuku

"Run where?" asked Kon

"Just hurry!" exclaimed Rukia

"Alright!" Mana and Kon exclaimed in unison

_Shizuku then stepped forward._

"I'll go, and you back me up Karen." Said Shizuku

"No. You and Rukia stay back. This one's personal." I said

_I charged at Grand Fisher, but before I had a chance to strike, it jumped, and I crashed into, well, Ichigo._

"Karen?" asked Ichigo

"Ichigo!" I exclaimed

"You're a Soul Reaper?" asked Ichigo

_He then turned to see Grand Fisher, and his eyes widened in shock._

"That's not possible. It's her. It's the girl I saw that day six years ago, the one down by the river." Said Ichigo

"River?" I asked

"Something about it?" asked Ichigo

"That's where I sensed something, and it was strong enough to have me see again." I said

_That's when I sensed Grand Fisher's spirit energy. No doubt, his spirit energy was the one I sensed that day._

"Wait, six years ago? Wait, Ichigo, do you mean…?" started Rukia

"That's right. She's the one. I tried to stop her from jumping into the river, but when I finally came to, she disappeared, and my mother… she was dead." Said Ichigo

"Six years ago, that's a long time, and there have been so many, you can't expect me to remember every one of the souls I've eaten. Now can you?" asked Grand Fisher

_The girl then turned into a lure, which attached itself onto Grand Fisher's head._

"Ichigo, I'll take the lead, and you follow. This Hollow's getting the Tsukimori smack-down after what happened 11 years ago." I said

"Don't tell me…" started Ichigo

"Yeah, that Hollow killed my mother and father." I said

"Karen, Ichigo! Have you two lost it?-! This Hollow has been getting the best of Soul Reapers for 50 years! He's way too strong for the two of you to take on!" exclaimed Shizuku

"Enough! Now please, don't interfere or try to help us. This fight… is ours!" Ichigo and I exclaimed in unison

_Ichigo charged in first while I followed in pursuit. He tried to reach Grand Fisher first, but missed. I then sensed that he was behind me._

"You're too slow humans." Said Grand Fisher

_We both got out of the way as he shot more hair at us. We somehow managed to get far away from the cemetery._

"That was pretty brave of you young Soul Reapers. Telling your friends that you didn't need any help from them to fight me. Pretty brave and pretty stupid." Said Grand Fisher

"Shut up." Ichigo and I said in unison

_I don't know why I wasn't able to see for so long, but if I had to guess, it's because I didn't want to feel lonely after mom and dad died. I can only imagine what Homura had to go through after mom died. Grandmother and grandfather were upset too, after dad had died. I've also made it my duty to protect the innocent._

"I've also made it my duty to protect the innocent. And that means it's my duty to destroy you!" exclaimed Ichigo

_He charged at Grand Fisher, and he disappeared._

"I guess you didn't listen when your friends told you not to be so reckless." Said Grand Fisher

_He then attacked, but Ichigo used his zanpaku-to to block him._

"You've been lucky so far. How many times do you think you can get away with jumping into the lion's den without any strategy? Well, today's the day your luck finally ran out maggot!" exclaimed Grand Fisher

_His hand turned into some kind of claw, which pierced Ichigo's body._

"That'll teach you to be so reckless amateur Soul Reaper. Rejecting your comrade's offer of help will prove to be your final mistake. And now you'll endure the shame of dying without even having wounded the great Grand Fisher." Grand Fisher said while his arm regenerated

"Ichigo!" exclaimed Rukia

"Karen!" exclaimed Shizuku

"Stay back!" exclaimed Ichigo

"We can handle this. Whatever it takes, no matter what it costs us. Even if we die, Ichigo and I have to finish this. This isn't your normal Hollow fight; it's a battle for the memories of our loved ones." I said

"Then die you both will, because you allow your passion and your rage to distract you from your purpose, and that distraction dulls your sword. You flail wildly, but your physical skills only are not enough to defeat me. And now, I shall show you why your mind is not strong enough to fight me either. Behold!" exclaimed Grand Fisher

_He placed his hand, the one that regenerated, on his lure, and his lure looked like Ichigo's mom!_

"Is that… your mother?" asked Rukia

"Bastard!" exclaimed Ichigo

"Even the most cold-blooded Soul Reaper has one person whom he can never kill. That is a fact which you can never deny. By learning who that person is, I have evaded every Soul Reaper who has come before you for over fifty years, and I have learned that for you, this is that one person." Said Grand Fisher

"Do you remember me Ichigo?" asked Grand Fisher's lure

_I noticed he had a look of shock on his face._

"Ichigo." Said Rukia

"Karen." Said Shizuku

"Karen, stay out of this one. This just became very personal." Said Ichigo

"Ichigo, this is personal for me too, so don't tell me what I can or cannot do!" I exclaimed

"Well Soul Reaper, can you draw your sword against your own mother? And you, can you draw your sword against your friend's mother?" asked Grand Fisher

"Bastard. How dare you defile a memory by bringing her into this? You disgusting freak. You make me sick! I'll cut your heart out!" Ichigo exclaimed while charging in

_I wanted to help more than anything, but something in my gut told me to stay out of this. Ichigo, please, just stay safe, that is, and stay alive._

"Ichigo, you mustn't do this. You mustn't hurt your mother. Please son, you must put your sword down. Do it for me." Said Grand Fisher's lure

_Grand Fisher than used his hair to be like a spear, which pierced Ichigo's shoulder._

"Didn't I tell you? Your rage only serves to dull your blade. It makes you vulnerable, and now with my next blow, I'll finish you off! Now before you die, I want to tell you that after having faced so many Soul Reapers, you are the most foolish, and by far the weakest of them all!" exclaimed Grand Fisher

"Ichigo! Watch out!" Rukia, Shizuku, and I exclaimed in unison

_Grand Fisher's lure then crackled with electricity._

"What? Why don't you die?" asked Grand Fisher

"What is that?" asked Rukia

"Mom? Is that you?" asked Ichigo

"That lure we see isn't actually his mother, but she's transmitting her thoughts to him." Said the other soul reaper

"Then that can only mean that the lure recorded her thoughts at the very moment she was killed." Said Shizuku

"Her dying thoughts were recorded?" wondered Ichigo

"I thought this might happen. I had a vision of it earlier. Now this battle could go either way." Said the other soul reaper

"Ichigo. My son, I'm very proud of you. You and your father, and Karin, and Yuzu, I am so lucky to have had all those years with all of you, and I know because of the love that all of you share; you will always keep the family together, and strong even without me. Ichigo live on my son, live with strength and kindness, and never lose that smile. The smile you always wore when you looked at me. Ichigo, thank you for loving me." Said Ichigo's mom

"Mother…" said Ichigo

"Ichigo." Said Rukia

"Mother, now I know what your last thoughts were. You say anger dulls the blade. You may be right about that, but there's something else that you haven't considered. To kill a slimy scumbag like you, a dull blade like this one, is all that I need!" exclaimed Ichigo

_He managed to stab Grand Fisher, hard._

"Curse you Soul Reaper; you haven't seen the last of me! You'll pay for this someday!" Grand Fisher exclaimed while he ran away

"Coward!" exclaimed Ichigo

"Ichigo, it's over. You did it! You stopped him! Put down your sword and rest." Said Rukia

"Yeah, listen to her. This battle's over." Said Shizuku

"No it isn't! It won't be over until I've killed him! I have to!" exclaimed Ichigo

"Ichigo!" Rukia, Shizuku, and I exclaimed in unison

_He soon fainted in Rukia's arms._

"I'm glad you didn't die today Ichigo. I'm so thankful." Said Rukia

"Your friend is something else. As you know, the power a Soul Reaper possesses is determined by his life force. This kid's potential is a little frightening." Said the soul reaper

"Watch it Saido!" exclaimed Shizuku

"I'm only speaking the truth, besides; she has a lot of potential as well. Well, time for me to head home. After all, two's company, three's a crowd. Isn't that what they say? And it looks like our little Rukia has finally grown into a woman, and Shizuku's become a man. And…" started Saido

"Give it a rest, will ya?" Rukia and Shizuku asked in unison

"Okay, have it your way, but you two do know the Soul Society's gonna find out eventually. Bye Rukia, Shizuku, good luck, and I'll take Captain Aizen back for treatment. I'll just say that a Hollow jumped him. Say good-bye to the kid for me." Said Saido

_He soon walked away, and I'm glad that Ichigo's gonna be okay. After the rain finally died down, I was in front of mom and dad's graves._

"I'm so sorry, mom, dad, I couldn't avenge your deaths." I said

_I saw Homura and Umi walk up to me._

"Aunt Homura. Umi." I said

"If your mom and dad could see that you're taking good care of yourself, they'd be happy. I know it." Said Umi

"How can you guys smile about this? Why doesn't anyone blame me for what happened? It would be so much easier to understand if you guys just blamed me! I can't take it! I just can't!" I exclaimed

"Why would we blame you? Kahoko would be upset if I did, and Len would too. Besides, you were four years old, and some reckless driver ran into them. Sometimes in life, bad things happen, and they knew that, and remember, the sister I love was willing to give up her life to protect the one she loved." Said Homura

_She handed me my violin case. She took it with her?_

"Karen, please, just this once, play Ave Maria. It was the song that brought your mom and dad together." Said Umi

_I opened up the case, and put the violin on the place where it should be. Schubert's Ave Maria filled the night air as I played it._

"It still has a beautiful song in it. Karen, we'll be waiting at the bottom of the hill for you." Said Homura

_They both then walked out of sight._

"Are you listening Shizuku? I want you to let me be a Soul Reaper for just a while longer. I wanna become strong to protect my family and friends, and so I can continue to protect the innocent from Hollows. I have to be strong to defeat any Hollow, especially that Grand Fisher. I can't face my parents again until I've killed him!" I exclaimed

_I know it may seem impossible now, but… I will avenge your deaths, mom, dad._

_**Done and done! Whew, thankfully I'm on summer vacation, so this gives me time to write. Please review, check out my poll, and until next time, I'm sakuraphoenix, saying I heart you, signing off for now. Kan dao ni!**_


	10. Assault on Sacred Ground

Chapter 10: Assault on Sacred Ground

_**Hey everyone! It's me, sakuraphoenix, and I'm back with a new chapter! I know my updating speed has been, well, a little haywire, but hey, at least I am. Anyhow, disclaimer time!**_

_**Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach. I also do not own Shizuku. Credit goes to Lyokowarrior1994**_

_**Enjoy!**_

_Ever since the cemetery incident, Ichigo and I have been hanging out more often, but just as friends and nothing more. Just as we entered the classroom, Orihime popped up out of nowhere._

"Bwahahaha!" Orihime said while doing that stupid laugh and pose from Spirit Hunter

_I had a look on my face as I backed away from her like she was carrying a deadly disease._

"Huh? Ichigo, Karen, you two barely reacted at all. Don't you two even know where it's from?" asked Orihime

"Uh… Spirit Hunter?" Ichigo and I asked in unison

"Yeah, isn't that show just the best? Come on then Ichigo, Karen, join in with me." Said Orihime

_She was about to do it again when Tatsuki stopped her. Thank goodness._

"Oh, hey Tatsuki. What's the matter?" asked Orihime

"Let's go already. You can 'bwahahaha' with me. Now move!" exclaimed Tatsuki

_Ichigo and I had a look on our faces. Not that I blame him, he hates that show just as much as me._

"Yo Ichigo, Karen. Keigo here." Said Keigo

"And Mizuiro." Said Mizuiro

_And Chad was there too. They were all doing the stupid pose._

"Bwahahaha!" Keigo and Mizuiro laughed

_I swear, these two know how the tick me off._

"What do you mean you two aren't going? It's the best TV show in Japan! And it's gonna be broadcasting live from Karakura. You live in this town dudes, you have to be dead to miss it." Said Keigo

"Guess that makes me a zombie." Said Ichigo

"And I guess that makes me a vampire." I said

"Get lost." Ichigo and I said in unison

"But I already went through the trouble of asking Rukia and Shizuku to go!" exclaimed Keigo

_Speak of the devil, there they are._

"Hi Ichigo." Rukia said while performing a curtsy

"Good morning Karen." Said Shizuku

_Oh brother._

"Come on Rukia, Shizuku, mwahahaha!" Keigo exclaimed while he did the stupid pose

"No, I'd be too embarrassed to do it." Said Rukia

"And it's not my thing." Said Shizuku

"Aw please you two!" exclaimed Keigo

_Becoming quite the actor and actress now are we Shizuku, Rukia?_

_Later…_

"Remind me again why I agreed to come to this stupid live broadcast Mana?" I asked

"Because you didn't want your family out of your sight for very long." Said Mana

"Exactly." I said

"Good evening everyone! This week's episode of Spirit Hunter is brought to you live from an abandoned hospital in the town of Karakura! Where the tortured screams of the dead can be heard echoing through the hall!" exclaimed the male announcer

"Who knows what horrifying sights we'll witness here this evening." Said the female announcer

"And now folks, let's give him a warm welcome. This century's premiere spiritualist, and messenger from hell, Mr. Don Kanoji!" exclaimed the male announcer

_He then dropped in from the helicopter that was flying overhead._

"The spirits are always with you!" exclaimed Kanoji

_When he landed, everyone, most likely except for me and Ichigo, were chanting his name._

"And how is everyone tonight? Hold onto your seats my babies, it's time again to hear the spirits cry!" exclaimed Kanoji

"So tell us, what do you think of this place? Well?" asked the female announcer

"The stench of the spirit world hangs in the air around us. I'd have to say that…" started Kanoji

"Smells like bad spirit!" the audience finished

_He did the stupid laugh and pose again, with the audience following his example. I swear, these people need to get a life._

"And we're cutting to commercial." Said one of the cameraman

_Man, I hate these stupid shows about spirits._

"Yeah, sure, I'm normal, but what about the rest of these weirdos?" wondered Ichigo

"Talking to yourself. People are going to think you're crazy Ichigo." I said

"Watch it Karen." Said Ichigo

"She's only saying." Said Mana

"You brought your Mod Soul with you?" wondered Ichigo

"You never know when a Hollow could show up. Actually, when it gets to the stupid part, I was going to let Mana take my place while I patrol." I said

"You trust me that much?" asked Mana

"You haven't done anything stupid like Kon." I said

"True." Said Mana

"Ichigo, what's wrong?" asked a female voice

"Karen? Are you okay?" asked a male voice

_We turned around to see Rukia and Shizuku! Oh come on! Seriously?-! The stupid laugh and pose again?-!_

"Hey, what's with the serious look? As long as you two are here, you might as well try and have fun." Said Rukia

"Shut up, I'm always like this." Said Ichigo

"Between all of your school work and your duties as a Soul Reaper, you two must be exhausted, and there will be hard battles on the road ahead. Use tonight to enjoy yourselves a little." Said Shizuku

"Huh?" I wondered

"By the way, tell us, what is this festival all about?" asked Rukia

"You mean you two showed up without even knowing?-!" Ichigo and I exclaimed in unison

_One long explanation later…_

"Seriously, you'd think there'd really be spirits in an old deserted hospital like this one?" asked Ichigo

"What are you getting at?" asked Shizuku

"Well, if there had been spirits here, you Soul Reapers would've helped them cross over already, right?" I asked

"Well not necessarily. Jibaku spirits are often tied to places like this. Jibaku spirits are ghosts that dwell within the earth, so it's very rare that Soul Reapers are able to pinpoint their location. There's only one reason a Jibaku would reveal itself, when it notices humans are invading its territory." Said Rukia

_The scream of a Hollow then filled the air. My hair practically stood up on end._

"That's the cry of a Jibaku. So there is one here." Said Shizuku

"Wait a sec, how do you know that sound's not a Hollow?" I asked

"There are certain paths along which Hollows come to be. One path is when a Jibaku spirit, with its fierce attachment to the world is left alone and becomes a Hollow, much like this spirit here." Said Rukia

"So then he's a…" started Ichigo

"A Whole on the verge of becoming a Hollow. A demi-Hollow." Said Shizuku

"Yeah, well he sure feels like a Hollow to me." Said Ichigo

"You can say that again, except he's not wearing one of those masks, and the hole in his chest hasn't opened all the way." I said

"The hole in a Hollow's chest shows that the heart has been lost, leaving nothing but raw instinct. The white skull-shaped mask is all that shields those bare instincts from the outside world. Neither are necessary is the heart is still intact." Said Rukia

_Rukia then pulled out a sketchbook. But when I saw the drawings, my face somewhat paled._

"Upon death the chain of fate is severed from the body. Usually the spirit waits for a Soul Reaper's guidance. But if they have regrets in this world, they become bound to the source of their pain." Said Rukia

_Ichigo completely ignored her, so she slapped him on the head with her sketchbook. Good thing I was about to ask her 'why her drawings suck so bad'. Now, I don't think so._

"So that means this demi-Hollow's heart is chained to the hospital." Said Rukia

"This hospital belongs to me! I'm not giving it up for anyone! Don't even think about trying to come in here! I'm gonna be filthy rich off this place!" exclaimed the demi-Hollow

"Yeah, well, whatever he is, he sure sounds like a dumbass." Said Ichigo

"Coming back from commercial." Said the cameraman

_The lights then flashed on._

"Oh, I think the show's about to get started." Said Rukia

_Ichigo and I sighed as Kanoji got into his pose._

"The spirits are always with you." Said Kanoji

_He started laughing, and everyone joined in, well, minus the only sane people around here. However, Rukia and Shizuku joined in with the laughing._

"Hey, knock it off!" Ichigo, Mana, and I exclaimed in unison

"Don't worry. It takes months for a spirit to transform into a Hollow." Said Shizuku

"Now then, the time has come once again for Don Kanoji to take the stage." Said the male announcer

"You can just feel the excitement in the air." Said the female announcer

"We don't want the spirit to become agitated with this many people around." Said Shizuku

"He's right. We'll do the Konso after the show." Said Rukia

"Yeah, but…" I started

"Spirits go through so much pain when they transform into Hollows, they fill the night with terrible screaming. I mean, does it look like that demi-Hollow is suffering to you two?" asked Shizuku

"Huh? And who the hell are you?-! You think you can come in here and defile my hospital?-! You got some nerve buddy. And what's with the crazy friggin' hat?" asked the demi-Hollow

"My guess is no." Ichigo said while sweat-dropping

"More or less a severe case of anger management issues." I said while sweat-dropping

"There, you see? Unless someone deliberately messes with that opening in his chest, he's still got another six months before he becomes a Hollow." Said Rukia

_And we turned as we heard the sound of screaming coming from the area where the demi-Hollow was._

"What the hell does he think he's doing?-!" exclaimed Ichigo

"The fool! All he's doing is speeding up the creation of a Hollow!" exclaimed Shizuku

_He then jumped over the fence. That idiot! I handed Mana over to Shizuku as I chased after him._

"Come on, knock it off!" exclaimed Ichigo

"Ichigo! Are you nuts or something?-!"I exclaimed as I jumped the fence

_Then we were jumped by security._

"Over here! We've got to get you two out of your bodies!" exclaimed Rukia

_Shizuku and Rukia were then jumped. So much for plan A._

"Let us go!" exclaimed Ichigo

_The chains around the demi-Hollow were beginning to break. Not good._

"No!" exclaimed Shizuku

"Get your hands off us!" I exclaimed

_Suddenly, I found myself on the ground, with Ichigo right next to me._

"Who did that?-!" Ichigo and I exclaimed in unison

"Hello." Said Kisuke

"Mr. Hat-and-Clogs?" asked Ichigo

"Kisuke?" I asked

"Don't just stand there like a log you two, get to work already." Said Kisuke

_Oh yeah. I forgot. My bad._

"Right!" Ichigo and I exclaimed in unison

_We then ran to stop Kanoji. _

"Stop it!" Ichigo and I exclaimed in unison

_When I was close enough, I rolled up my right sleeve, and threw a fast one into Kanoji's face!_

"What's wrong with you kids?-!" exclaimed Kanoji

"Well, what'd ya know? You can see us." I said

"Of course I can. I'm the century's premiere spiritualist! Oh wait, I get it, you two are dead, but you're fans, aren't you?" asked Kanoji

_That got Ichigo mad enough to get into Kanoji's face._

"Don't make us kill you." Said Ichigo

_The sound of another chain breaking reached our ears. Uh-oh._

"Don't tell me, are we too late?" asked Ichigo

"I'd say yes." I said in a small voice

_The Whole then blew up._

"He's gone." Said Ichigo

"Yeah! Mission accomplished baby!" exclaimed Kanoji

'_No! He's wrong! The Whole's reforming to become a Hollow! He's close by!_'

_It's that voice again._

"Look out Karen! Ichigo! Above you!" Shizuku and Rukia exclaimed in unison

_We saw the Hollow being reformed on the roof of the hospital. Not good._

"Wh-what is it?" wondered Kanoji

"A Hollow. We hope you're ready." I said

"Oh, I feel it. I feel something that reeks with a stench of a super-dangerous spirit. Now I understand. You're that other spirit's evil lord, and you've come here seeking vengeance." Said Kanoji

"Nice try jackass." Ichigo said while sweat-dropping

"If this weren't a serious matter, I'd burst out laughing." I said while sweat-dropping

"The pain. Must devour!" exclaimed the Hollow

_We were about to get into action when I felt something on my shoulder._

"Hold on!" exclaimed Kanoji

_He pushed us back. He's either really brave, or completely stupid._

"Run boy! Come on you bad spirit! Don Kanoji, the premiere spiritualist of the century is ready!" exclaimed Kanoji

"Who are you?-!" exclaimed the Hollow

_Ichigo then drew his zanpaku-to, and charged at the Hollow_

"What are you doing?-!" exclaimed Ichigo

_Looks like its bark was worse than its bite. He then threw back, big time._

"Kids, why didn't you run?" asked Kanoji

"Hey look buster; you're the one who should be running!" I exclaimed

"Huh? Me? Run? What are you saying?" asked Kanoji

_Now I had my sword pulled out, and began slicing the Hollow, which was as slippery as an eel. Then it was about to attack Kanoji, but Ichigo got him out of the way while the Hollow dove into the wall._

"A golden chance!" exclaimed Kanoji

"Oh no, you're coming with us!" I exclaimed as I grabbed him by the collar

_I dragged him into the hospital, while shattering the glass doors._

"Wait! Why are we running away kids?-!" exclaimed Kanoji

"Because we heard some idiot say we should run." Said Ichigo

"I know, but I was talking about you kids, not me. Kanoji runs from no one!" exclaimed Kanoji

_Let's see how he likes drywall for dinner. I tossed him like he was a bowling ball into the wall._

"Alright, can you explain this one to us? Why should we run away and you stay behind to fight?-!" exclaimed Ichigo

"Well I… I have to stay because… because after all, I'm the hero." Said Kanoji

"Huh?" Ichigo and I wondered

"Listen little man and woman, do you have any idea the ratings my show pulls in for the network?" asked Kanoji

"Why the hell do I care?" Ichigo and I asked in unison

"I'll tell you why you should! I've got 25 percent! One in every four households is watching my show!" exclaimed Kanoji

_Why the hell am I even listening to this guy?_

"And many of those viewers are… children. Those children watch my adventures, and their hearts are inspired. They see me stand up to evil spirits, and learn what true courage is. So don't you get it? With all those kids out there watching my show, running isn't an option, understand?" asked Kanoji

"Don Kanoji, you're right." Said Ichigo

"Wait, he is?" I wondered

"You two bet I am, now let's get out there and crush that monster." Said Kanoji

_This guy has a brick wall around his brain thicker than the one Umi has! I grabbed him back the back of his shirt this time._

"Think you idiot! You can't do that! What if the audience gets mixed up in it? That thing is going after people with high spirit energy, like you, me, and Strawberry over there." I said

"How many times do I have to tell you?-! Don't call me 'Strawberry'!" exclaimed Ichigo

"Not my problem that you got named with a girl's name!" I exclaimed

"Why you…!" exclaimed Ichigo

"Let's leave this for another day. The point is, there's no question that it's gonna come after us, but we need to fight it in here, so no one in the audience can get hurt!" I exclaimed

"Kids, I am amazed, for you to have thought things through like that in the heat of battle. Kids…" started Kanoji

_Ichigo put his hand out, and turned around. We then hear the Hollow's roar._

"He's here." Said Ichigo

_The Hollow burst from the floor._

"I'll devour you!" exclaimed the Hollow

"Let's do this!" Ichigo and I exclaimed in unison

_I managed to draw my blade, but Ichigo had his stuck in the wall, so to speak._

"Not enough room!" exclaimed Ichigo

_We'll need to get to the roof if we're going to have a fighting chance against this thing. Then it spat something, which attached itself to Ichigo's hands and zanpaku-to._

"AH! What is it?-! I can't make it get off!" exclaimed Ichigo

_The Hollow was about to attack him, when Ichigo stuck his zanpaku-to in the Hollow's arm. It then began to go berserk._

"AH! Hold on a second!" exclaimed Ichigo

_It burst through the hospital's walls, and made its way up. Time to get up there myself._

"Time to get moving." I said as I ran up the stairs

_I made it to the roof when I saw that Ichigo and the Hollow were having a Mexican stand-off. Then Kanoji pushed me aside._

"Hey kid, are you alright here?" asked Kanoji

"You again?-!" exclaimed Ichigo

_The Hollow then began to charge at Kanoji._

"Hold it Kanoji! Run!" exclaimed Ichigo

_It threw Ichigo to the railing, and then spat more of that gunk onto him. It then was about to attack, but then Kanoji put his cane in the middle of its outstretched mouth._

"K-Kanoji?" wondered Ichigo

"Are you hurt kid?" asked Kanoji

"You can't handle him! Get the hell outta here!" exclaimed Ichigo

"No! I know my own strength, and I know the difference between my enemies' powers and my own. I must say, you two made quite the impression on me today. Putting the safety others first. That's great. You, she, and I are three of a kind. What's say we be friends?" asked Kanoji

_Gag me for crying out loud._

"Oh, uh, that's alright, really." Ichigo and I said in unison while sweat-dropping

"Kanoji ultimate attack! Cannonball!" exclaimed Kanoji

_What's that little thing gonna do? Answer: Blow up the gunk. His cane then broke, and the Hollow pushed him aside._

"Kanoji!" exclaimed Ichigo

"Even if this body is obliterated, so long as I can serve as a shield to the children of tomorrow, I shall carry no regrets for the life that I've made." Said Kanoji

_He then made the thumbs-up sign. So uncool._

"Good luck." Said Kanoji

_He then collapsed onto the ground. He was about to attack him, when I drew my zanpaku-to in front of it._

"Sorry pal, but this is the end of the line for you!" I exclaimed

_I sliced it in half, and that's all she wrote._

"Well done! That was great! Magnificent! Just magnificent!" exclaimed Kanoji

"Kanoji, don't get too excited." Said Ichigo

"Huh? Why not kids? You just defeated this monster. This is a time to rejoice!" exclaimed Kanoji

_The Hollow began to disappear, and just before we did, the man we saw earlier appeared, and soon disappeared in a shower of cherry blossom petals._

"It can't be. He's the one who… wh-what?" wondered Kanoji

"When you first met him, he was a demi-Hollow. But when you messed with the hole in his chest, he became a Hollow. With the chain linked to his soul broken, the hole in his chest was able to completely open. Thus, he became a monster devoid of emotion, a Hollow." I said

"That hole, so then… no. So if that's the case, what is it I've been doing all this time? Oh no. I'm so ashamed of myself." Said Kanoji

_He started crying, and the audience was becoming restless, at least, that's what I thought._

"Hey, come on. Quit your crying hero. Let's go. Everybody's waiting." Said Ichigo

_He walked over to see the audience, apparently not knowing what to say._

"What's wrong? You better answer them. It's part of a hero's duties, isn't it?" I asked

"Kids…" started Kanoji

_He then walked over so the audience could see him better._

"Mission accomplished! Bwahahaha!" laughed Kanoji

_For once, I don't mind the stupid laugh._

"Kids that was a magnificent battle. I stand in awe of your courage, and I'm amazed by your power. I hope you two will lend me that strength in the future." Said Kanoji

_He extended his hand as a gesture for friendship._

"Um, yeah sure, once in a while." Said Ichigo

"What he said." I said

_We all did a three-way handshake._

"Thank you. From now on, you two will be, my number one pupils." Said Kanoji

"That's a demotion!" Ichigo and I exclaimed in unison

_**That's a demotion indeed. Believe me, it wasn't easy typing this chapter. Please review, and until next time, I'm sakuraphoenix, saying I heart you, signing off for now. Kan dao ni!**_


	11. The Legendary Quincy

Chapter 11: The Legendary Quincy

_**What's up? It's me, sakuraphoenix, and I'm back with a brand new chapter of Spirits of the Past! I know that it's been a while since the last update, but I'm back and ready to roll!**_

_**Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach. I also do not own Shizuku. Credit goes to Lyokowarrior1994**_

_**Enjoy!**_

"Outrageous! Don't you see the damage that you kids have done?-! This ridiculous show was broadcasted on national television yesterday! Just look." Said Kagine

_He played a recording of Spirit Hunter, and just when Kanoji couldn't get on my nerves enough times already!_

"With four of our students for all the world to see. Rukia, Ichigo, Shizuku, and Karen. This is very serious. Never in the history of this school has any student ever dishonored this institution by committing such an act of civil disobedience!" exclaimed Kagine

"Mr. Kagine? Sir, I can understand why you're angry with Ichigo, Karen, Shizuku, and Rukia for acting like a bunch of stupid idiots, but why are Orihime and I here when we didn't have anything to do with this?" asked Tatsuki

"You were there with them the whole time this was going on!" exclaimed Kagine

"That was a coincidence. We were just walking by and suddenly got dragged into the whole mess." Said Tatsuki

"Great, thanks a lot." Ichigo said sarcastically

"We'll remember this the next time you need someone to bail you out!" I exclaimed

"Anyway, this has been fun Mr. Kagine, but we're going back to class if you don't mind. Come on Orihime." Said Tatsuki

"Bye Mr. Kagine." Said Orihime

_They both walked out of the classroom._

"Yeah, me too. I've got some homework…" started Keigo

"Not so fast Mr. Asano! You were there with them, and yet you did nothing to stop them, so you're just as guilty as Ichigo and Karen." Said Kagine

"I still don't get what the big deal is. It was just a stupid TV show." Said Keigo

"You don't get much, do you mister?-! That's the trouble with you kids today! No awareness of the consequences of your actions! It's depressing!" exclaimed Kagine

"I'm so sorry. Shizuku, and I really did try to stop Ichigo and Karen, but they wouldn't listen. All they ever think about are themselves, and they were so obsessed with getting on television. The whole thing's all my fault. Go ahead and punish me." Rukia said while faking to cry

"Uh, please don't cry Rukia. I understand, I'm sure you three did everything you could have." Said Kagine

_Now's the best time to sneak away. Ichigo, Chad, Shizuku, Keigo, Mizuiro, and I snuck out the window, and made a break for it!_

"You thugs! You come back here right now! You're not gonna get off that easy! I know where you live!" exclaimed Kagine

"Then get a life stalker!" I yelled back

_I wanted to say that to him for a long time, and now I had a reason. At least we were in the clear._

"Way to go Rukia! Your awesome performance got us off scot free with no detention." Said Keigo

"Oh you guys, it was nothing really." Said Rukia

"What are you talking about? She was trying to sell us up the river." I said

"You've got to admit that her phony crying covered your getaway. You two oughta be thanking her." Said Tatsuki

"Actually, I kinda enjoyed putting on the big act and fooling Mr. Kagine, so no thanks necessary, but you have to know, I would never sell out a good friend like Ichigo or Karen." Said Rukia

_Rukia's and Shizuku's soul pagers began to beep. Hollow alert._

"Oh Ichigo, can I talk to you for a second in private?" asked Rukia

"Karen, do you think you could help me with something?" asked Shizuku

_I nodded my head, and we moved out. When we got to the location, all we saw was the dead spirit of an anime otaku, seeing the Domino High school uniform for boys cosplay he was wearing._

"What the hell's going on? I thought there was a Hollow Alert. Don't tell me I got all dressed up for nothing. Either your pager needs new batteries, or something's up." I said

"That's really weird. It was a strong signal, but now there's no trace of it. And the same goes on Rukia's end based on what I can tell." Said Shizuku

"Yo! Spirit dude! You didn't by any chance got a glimpse of the head of a Hollow lately, have you?" I asked

"I don't know what you mean by 'a Hollow', but I saw this thing in a white mask, and it had a wolf-like body! I was so scared out of my mind!" exclaimed the spirit

"I don't care about your problems; I wanna know what happened to it!" I exclaimed as I shoved my foot into his face

"Let me talk to him. Since you can describe the Hollow so clearly, no doubt, that you must know what happened to it." Said Shizuku

"Well, all I remember is seeing the wolf thing in front of me, and then some kind of arrow pierced it." Said the spirit

"An arrow? Well, we're not getting any more info. Konso time." I said

"Huh? What's Konso? Hey! Keep that sword away from…" started the spirit

_I placed the hilt of the sword on his forehead, and sent him on his way._

_Back at school…_

_The final exam scores were now posted on the board. I was currently looking for my name, and I found it. I didn't do that bad, but I wish I was in the top three._

"Third in the class? Pretty smart for a girl Orihime." Said Tatsuki

"This sucks. Orihime has both brains and boobs. It's just not fair." Said Michiru

"If it makes you feel better, she's a terrible cook." Said Tatsuki

"Orihime, you're my best friend! I'm so proud of you!" exclaimed Chizuru

"Eh, let the girls get their high scores. At least none of our gang embarrassed us by making it into the top fifty, right Mizuiro?" asked Keigo

"Take another look." Said Mizuiro

_Ichigo was ranked 23th in the class. Ha! I beat him! So much for being number one._

"Wh-wh-wh-what?-! Ichigo is ranked number 23?-! You cheater! There's no way you could've possibly scored that high!" exclaimed Keigo

"Shut up Keigo. I score high on tests because I study for them. You should try it sometime." Said Ichigo

"Ah-ha! So that's what you were doing all those nights when I was asking you to come and hang out! You always said you were too busy, but the truth is you were studying like a total nerd! Oh no! I'm friends with a nerd! Maybe you need some thick nerd glasses like these pal." Said Keigo

"No thanks." Ichigo said while breaking the glasses and Keigo's nose

"It is a bit of a surprise to learn you really study." Said Mizuiro

"My hair gets me enough abuse. I'm not gonna be an academic loser on top of it." Said Ichigo

"The same goes for me, only difference between me and you is the face that my hair matches my eye colors." I said

"Good point. Sorry I ragged on ya. So how about … if I give you this complementary nerd headband instead!" exclaimed Keigo

"I told you no." Ichigo said while cutting the headband off

"Alright, have it your way, but see if I ask you to hang out with me again. Well, at least you two wouldn't go and do something embarrassing like score in the top fifty, right Chad, Karen, old pals?" asked Keigo

_Chad pointed to his spot and I did the same, well, the best I could at least. He was 11__th__ place, and I was 8__th__ place. Mizuiro and Keigo looked shocked._

"I'm horrified! I had no idea I was hanging out with such a bunch of complete geeks and brainiacs! I'm through with all of you!" exclaimed Keigo

_They both ran off into the hallway._

"Oh well, they'll be back." Said Tatsuki

"I guess it's lucky for him that one of us isn't in the number one spot, like Ametatsu Ishida. I've never even heard of him." Said Ichigo

"Me neither." I said

"That's Uryu, Uryu Ishida." Said Orihime

"You mean you know him?" I asked

"Yeah, of course, he's in our class." Said Orihime

_Idiot! I have a hard time with names and faces!_

"You'll find that Ichigo and Karen have an uncanny knack for forgetting people's faces and the names that go with them. Come on." Said Tatsuki

"Now that's weird." Said Ichigo

"Don't tell me twice." I said

_Shizuku's P.O.V._

_Rukia was dialing Kisuke's number while I was trying to get a fix on his spirit energy. No dice on both methods._

"How come he's not answering?-! Urahara! Why don't you ever pick up when I call you in emergencies like this?-! You call yourself a business man? Then why do you show up when you're not wanted and when I really need you, you won't answer?-!" exclaimed Rukia

"Phones aren't going to answer your questions for you, especially if they're soul pagers Rukia." I said

"Who asked you Shizuku?-!" exclaimed Rukia

"Besides, we both know that we need Urahara to come and fix these Soul Pagers. I mean, how are we supposed to know if these stupid things are even working?" I wondered

_They beeped with an incoming order. I grabbed mine and Rukia grabbed her Soul Pager, and we ran to find Ichigo and Karen. We found them._

"Ichigo!" exclaimed Rukia

"Karen!" I exclaimed

_I grabbed Karen by the arm as Rukia did._

"Come here, I need you!" exclaimed Rukia

"What she said!" I exclaimed

_We ran far away from them as we could so we could talk about the Hollow. We both got the same order, so it must be serious._

"We have a Hollow alert." Said Rukia

"A Hollow?" asked Ichigo

"Well there better actually be one this time!" exclaimed Karen

"Just shut up and run." I said

_We ran, and then Karen ran into someone._

"Sorry." Said Karen

_Karen's P.O.V._

_And yet again, it was a false alarm._

"Damn it. Again you drag us all the way out here, and there's no Hollow." Said Ichigo

"Shut up. Stop whining and get back into your body." Said Rukia

"Fine, but would you two do something about that those stupid Soul Pagers?" I asked

"These false alarms aren't our fault. When it goes off, we have to assume that a Hollow has appeared, so we report it. What else can we do?" asked Shizuku

"Well, get it fixed because it's obviously busted." Said Ichigo

"They don't fix them at television repair shops." Said Rukia

"Bickering are we?" asked a male voice

_We turned to see someone dressed completely in white. Seriously, what's with the tacky getup?_

"How unprofessional. Good evening, Ichigo, Karen, Rukia, and Shizuku." Said the male

"Who the hell are you?" I asked

"And how the hell do you know our names if you don't mind me…?" asked Ichigo

"I don't mind. I also know you two can see spirits, Ichigo, Karen." Said the male

_My eyes widened in surprise. How did this nut job know that?_

"How… do you know that?" I asked

_He turned his head to the right._

"Another Hollow has just appeared." Said the male

"No way." Said Shizuku

_His and Rukia's Soul Pagers began beeping._

"There's a new one here alright." Said Rukia

"How did he know?" wondered Shizuku

"Alright, which way?" asked Ichigo

"It's over there. Can you not sense such a simple thing? And you call yourselves Soul Reapers." Said the male

_A bow materialized from the cross on his wrist. He created an arrow made from spirit energy, and fired it._

"The signal just vanished!" exclaimed Rukia

"So, tell us, who or what are you?" I asked

"Uryu Ishida. I'm a Quincy. Soul Reapers are my enemies." Said Uryu

"Just what do you mean?" asked Ichigo

"Is that too complicated for you? I'll tell you again then, slower this time. Ichigo Kurosaki, Karen Tsukimori, you are my enemies." Said Uryu

_The next day, after school…_

_What the hell is that jerk's problem? Who does he think he is? The next time I see him, I'm pounding him into the ground! Besides, who uses a bow and arrow anymore? Now if only I could remember the guy's name. Now what was it again?_

"Was it… something Ishida? Great, I can remember last names, but not first! Damn it! Who in this school has a last name with 'Ishida', huh?" I asked out loud

"Do you mean Uryu Ishida?" asked Tatsuki

"Huh? Tatsuki. Yeah, why?" I asked

"Is there a reason you're saying his name out loud?" asked Tatsuki

"Not really. It's just something the guy said the other day that ticked me off." I said

"Well, you can catch him in the Home Handicrafts Club." Said Tatsuki

"Home Handi-what?-!" I exclaimed

_We opened the back door to the classroom, and saw jerkasaurus sitting down reading a book._

"See, there he is, right there." Said Tatsuki

"All he's doing is reading some stupid book. He's not knitting or sewing, and I'm self-taught with both skills." I said

"Just wait, looks like Michiru has a job for him." Said Tatsuki

_He tossed the doll into the air, and fixed it in no time flat! Whoa, he's good. That's when I heard him say something pretty mean to Michiru. Okay, forget soon. Soon is so not good enough._

"Why would he do something so nice then say something so mean?" asked Tatsuki

"He was like that to me yesterday about my violin playing. I'm so going to pound this guy into the ground." I said

_After he got out of his club, Ichigo and I followed him. I heard him stop walking after a while. Did he know that we were following him?_

"Do you intend to follow me all the way home Ichigo Kurosaki?" asked Uryu

_Ichigo and I stepped out of the shadows._

"Guess I'm not as sneaky as I thought I was, not like Karen. So when did you first notice me?" asked Ichigo

"From the time you and Orihime saw me in the classroom. You've been ducking in and out of shadows, behind me ever since." Said Uryu

"That long, huh? That's impressive." Said Ichigo

"The careless way you let your spirit energy leak out, even a monkey would've noticed you Ichigo." Said Uryu

"Huh?" wondered Ichigo

"Amateur stuff." Said Uryu

"What did you say?-!" exclaimed Ichigo

"You heard me. It's obvious that you lack even the most basic ability to detect those around you with high spirit energy. Something you probably also lack Karen." Said Uryu

"Watch it. You don't know squat about me." I said

"Whatever, how else can you explain that you weren't even aware of my existence until today?" asked Uryu

"Yeah, sorry about that. It's just that I've always been really bad at remembering names and faces." Said Ichigo

"And you slipped my mind when I saw you on the first day of high school." I said

"That's not what I mean Ichigo. Karen seems to know what I mean though. So you can sense the spirit energy of those around you. There's a difference between you and me Ichigo. When you first started at this school, I sensed your high spirit energies. And also, I was a little wary of Karen." Said Uryu

"Oh yeah, and why's that?" I asked

"Did you know that your spirit ribbon has been fluctuating between one color and another?" asked Uryu

"My spirit ribbon?" I asked

"Yes, your spirit ribbon changed color from one to the next practically every minute, and if you were any good Ichigo, you would've sensed my spirit energy. I even know the day in mid-May when you two became Soul Reapers, and I know Rukia Kuchiki's and Shizuku's true identities." Said Uryu

_Threads of Spirit Ribbons surrounded us._

"Spirit Ribbons." Ichigo and I said in unison

"For a change, you're right. Spirit Ribbons are the physical manifestation of spirit energy in the atmosphere. And…" started Uryu

_Uryu dashed at us, and then we saw him hold two red Spirit Ribbons._

"What are those?" asked Ichigo

"These are your Spirit Ribbons. Before you became a Soul Reaper Karen, your Spirit Ribbon always changed from white, to red. It was always like that, so I never knew whether or not you were really a Soul Reaper or what. You didn't know that Soul Reapers Spirit Ribbons are a different color than normal ones." Said Uryu

_He let go of the fragments of our Spirit Ribbons._

"Why don't we play a little game Ichigo Kurosaki? Karen Tsukimori? Let's have a duel to determine which one of us is stronger. The Quincy or the Soul Reapers? I'll show you just how unnecessary Soul Reapers are in this world." Said Uryu

_Shizuku's P.O.V._

_Rukia and I were walking to Urahara's shop when we saw Tessai hold Jinta up in the air. Rukia tried kicking him, but soon held her foot in pain. If she's in pain, who knows what the guy eats!_

"Oh hello there Miss Kuchiki, and it's the third seat of the third squad, I didn't see you two come in. Is there something wrong with your foot Miss Kuchiki?" asked Tessai

"Never mind. Urahara here?" asked Rukia

_We entered to find him being lazy as usual._

"If it isn't my favorite customers. What can I do for you?" asked Kisuke

_We threw our Soul Pagers at him, and he hit the floor, hard. I call that a strike!_

"Don't play innocent with us Urahara! We had to come in person because we've been calling for days on end with a major problem, and you don't answer!" I exclaimed

"Oh, sorry about that. It's just that we've been really busy lately, but I was gonna call you two today." Said Urahara

"Where are your friends? You know that weird orange-haired spiky haired dude, and that girl with matching hair and eyes? I don't see them. Guess they must've broke up with ya. Can't really say I blame the guys." Said Jinta

"Cut them some slack Jinta." Said Urahara

"It's serious. We need information." Said Rukia

"About what?" asked Kisuke

_Karen's P.O.V._

"So when is this duel between us supposed to take place?" I asked

"Right now." Said Uryu

"That idea is ridiculous!" exclaimed Ichigo

"Why do you say that?" asked Uryu

"Because it would be a waste of time, and we've got nothing to prove to you wise guy. We've never heard of Quincy's before, and we don't know what you have against Soul Reapers, but it's got nothing to do with us." Said Ichigo

"What a surprise, you're afraid to fight." Said Uryu

"Forget trying to goad us into it, besides, we'd mop the floor with you." I said

"Oh, now I get it. You two don't have permission. I forgot. Your Soul Reaper powers came from Rukia and Shizuku. You two are actually just Substitute Soul Reapers. That probably means that on your own, you can't so much as lift a finger. You two have to have their permission to duel, don't you?" asked Uryu

"That does it." Ichigo and I said in unison

_Shizuku's P.O.V._

"A Quincy? I haven't heard that word in a long time." Said Kisuke

"It does kinda have an ancient ring to it, doesn't it? If I'm not mistaken, it's been 200 years since I heard anyone speak of Quincy's." said Tessai

"Well, who are they?" I asked

"Who were they you mean. The last of the Quincy's became extinct centuries ago, but they were once a clan that specialized in killing Hollows, and at one time, there were many of them, scattered throughout the world." Said Kisuke

"So what happened?" I asked

"Well, I suppose we should begin at the beginning. The clans started out as a group of humans who had powers like Ichigo and Karen to sense the presence of Hollows in the world and began to train to fight against them. The whole mission of the Quincy's was the defeat Hollows, just as it is for Soul Reapers like yourselves, but there was a deep division between the two. It was a question of whether to cleanse Hollows or just kill them. Soul Reapers as you know seek to purify Hollows with their zanpaku-to, and thereby allow them to pass over into the Soul Society, but the Quincy's believed that Hollows deserved only destruction, and sought to annihilate them. When you think about it, it was a natural reaction. Hollows devour human souls that kill and maim our friends and family, why should they deserve the peace of the Soul Society? The Quincy's couldn't understand showing such mercy, and eventually they began to hate the Soul Reapers for it. They were sure the only answer was to kill Hollows. They believed in doing so, they were avenging their fallen comrades. But then, it was the same belief that eventually led to their destruction." Said Kisuke

_Karen's P.O.V._

"Alright, if a duel's what you want…" started Ichigo

"It's a duel you'll get." I finished as I pulled Mana out from my school bag

"It's about time Ichigo! Why'd you leave me in that stupid bag all day?-! You trying to kill me? I don't care what Rukia says, don't you ever do that to me again!" exclaimed Kon

"And Karen, next time, can you please at least leave some room for me to breathe?" asked Mana

"Sure, I can do that." I said

"Cough it up." Said Ichigo

"Wait a sec! Forget what I said about the bag! You can put me back there…" started Kon

_He then started digging through Kon's head._

"Ready Mana?" I asked

"Yeah." Said Mana

_I put my hand inside the plushie, and found Mana's soul pill. Ichigo and I took the soul pills at the same time, and we exited our bodies._

"Kon, Mana, you two better get back. We're about to give Mr. Handicraft some stiches to sew." Said Ichigo

"I'll be over here." Said Kon

"Me too!" exclaimed Mana

"So, how does your little duel work?" I asked

"Tell us the rules and let's get to it." Said Ichigo

_**Done and done! Whew, this took a while, but above and all, it's finally done! Please review, check out my poll, and until next time, I'm sakuraphoenix, saying I heart you, signing off for now. Kan dao ni!**_


	12. A Discovery of the Truth

Chapter 12: A Discovery of the Truth

_**Hey everyone! It's me sakuraphoenix, and I'm back with a new chapter! I know that it's been a while, but I'm back and ready to roll with a new chapter! Anyhow, disclaimer time.**_

_**Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach. I also don't own Shizuku. He belongs to Lyokowarrior1994**_

_**Enjoy!**_

_Now that Ichigo and I have Soul Reapered up, we just need to wait for Mr. Handicrafts to get ready._

"Okay, now tell us what the rules for this thing. Let's get started already." Said Ichigo

_He then pulled something out of his pocket. Just what is it?_

"We'll use this to begin. It'll help." Said Uryu

'_Don't let him use it Sakura! That's Hollow bait!_'

"Wait! That's Hollow Bait, isn't it?-! You can't honestly be thinking about using that!" I exclaimed

"You actually know what this is. Then you must also know that when I crush this, Hollows will start gathering here quickly." Said Uryu

"What the hell?-!" exclaimed Ichigo

"The rules here are quite simple. Whichever team kills the most Hollows in twenty-four hours will be the winner. Simple, isn't it? Even you can understand how that works." Said Uryu

"That won't work! What are you thinking? Doing that will put everyone who lives here in danger. This battle's just between all three of us." Said Ichigo

"Why are you making such a big deal about this? Believe me, no one is going to get hurt, because I know I will be able to wipe out every single Hollow that shows up here. If you had more confidence in your abilities to protect people from harm, you wouldn't be worried, and you two would accept this challenge." Said Uryu

"There's a fine line between confidence and safety! Safety comes before confidence! Didn't your momma tell you that when you were a kid?-!" I exclaimed

"Oh I know that." Said Uryu

_He crushed the bait. This is so not good. It sounded like cracking was occurring everywhere, and from the sky, a Hollow appeared! It roared as it appeared and was soon taken out by Uryu. Geez, talk about an advantage._

"And that's one for me." Said Uryu

_Ichigo then pushed Uryu to the ground._

"Why does your face look so tense Ichigo Kurosaki?" asked Uryu

"Change things back right now. You get those Hollow out of here." Said Ichigo

"It's too late for that. Soon the bait will have the whole town crawling with Hollows. Sorry, but the dye has already been cast. You two should use your time in a better way than this. There's people out there that need you two." Said Uryu

_Ichigo was clearly hesitant to let Uryu go, but he eventually did._

"I'd say you'd better get moving if you're going to protect the entire town from all those Hollows." Said Uryu

"Damn you." Said Ichigo

"I suppose I should remind you, it's a fact that Hollows have a tendency to attack those who have a high level of Spirit Energy first. I hope that helps." Said Uryu

_Oh no! I remember that Grand Fisher attacked Umi and Tsubomi. Could either one of them have high Spirit Energy?_

"Karin! Yuzu! Damn it!" exclaimed Ichigo

"Hey Ichigo! Wait up!" exclaimed Kon

"Mana, make sure that Umi and Tsubomi are safe. I'll get rid of any Hollows I find." I said

"What can you do?" asked Mana

"Something I've been meaning to try." I said

_As I ran for the river, a Hollow appeared._

"_Ruler, mask of flesh and blood, all things in the universe fly! That which names all in nature, gathering in heat of war! Beyond the seas in reverse, take steps to the south! Hado 31! Shakkaho! Red Flame Cannon!_" I chanted

_It hit the Hollow dead on, and I couldn't believe my eyes. I just cast a Hado after just seeing it once. I can't believe I remembered the chant._

"That's makes five so far. Umi and Tsubomi sometimes hang out here, but who else other than Ichigo's family and my own have high Spirit Energy?" I wondered

_Shizuku's P.O.V._

_This is strange. It feels like there's a big Hollow nearby._

"So Urahara, what's going on here?" asked Rukia

_Our Soul Pagers began to beep. Oh why now?_

"Damn it, a Hollow alert at a time like this? Excuse us Urahara. Business." I said

_Rukia and I opened our pagers, and I think mine's really broke! The signal's gone!_

"Why did the signal disappear?" asked Rukia

"Maybe Karen and Ichigo are doing well. Looks like they've grown for being Substitute Soul Reapers." I said

_Our pagers beeped again. Huh? This is weird._

"It went blank again? What is with this thing?" asked Rukia

"They're probably broken, I mean the Soul Pagers are going haywire." I said

_They beeped again, over and over! This isn't good._

"This is strange. I've never seen so many signals coming in so fast. This can't be, can it?" asked Rukia

"I'd say yes." I said as the color drained from my face

_Rukia and I heard the scream of a Hollow and ran outside to look. There was something black in the sky. Could that be a portal to the home of the Hollows? Hueco Mundo?_

"I'm feeling… all this agitated Spirit Energy." Said Rukia

"Oh no. What distraction is about to happen here?" I asked

_Karen's P.O.V._

_Sector one swept, now another to do. Before I could continue, I ran into a group of Hollows. This ain't good. I jumped out of the way just in time too._

'_Sakura, jump into the air. Use one of the Hollows as a springboard!_'

"Alright, alright! Do me a favor and quit calling me 'Sakura'. My name is Karen." I said

_I jumped on top of one of the Hollows and jumped further into the air. I held my hand out, and words began to spill out of my mouth._

"_Sprinkled on the bones of the beast! Sharp tower, red crystal, steel ring. Move and become the wind, stop and become the calm. The sound of warring spears fills the empty castle! Hado 63! Raikoho!_" I chanted

_Despite the fact it somewhat worked by getting rid of three Hollows at once, it kinda blew up in my face._

"*Cough* That was… unexpected." I said

_Shizuku's P.O.V._

_Now my Soul Pager's showing that the Hollows are gathering in one spot._

"This is bad. If I don't hurry, there's going to be a big problem." I said

_I then noticed a flash of lightning in the distance._

"That was Raikoho. Oh shoot. Is someone from the Soul Society here?" I asked

_I ran for the spot I saw the flash._

_Karen's P.O.V._

"Well, now it was more like ¼ blow up, ¾ hit." I said

"Karen!" exclaimed a male voice

_I saw Shizuku run up, and he stopped in his tracks. Didn't blame him. My hair looked like an electrical frizz._

"What happened?" asked Shizuku

"Remember that voice I told you about?" I asked

"Yeah…" said Shizuku

"Well, it told me the incantation to one of your Kido things." I said

"Whoa. Anyhow, do you know what's going on around here? There are Hollows popping up all over town!" exclaimed Shizuku

"Blame Uryu Ishida. He crushed some Hollow Bait earlier, and now Hollows are gathering like flies!" I exclaimed

"That explains the sky. I think I can help you out." Said Shizuku

"Huh?" I wondered

_He took a soul pill, which had a dog head on it, and his soul popped out of his body._

"I've been at full strength for a while now Karen, but I stuck around." Said Shizuku

"Why?" I asked

"Tell you later. Come on, we need to hurry. And you, head back to Karen's place and stay hidden in the closet in her room." Said Shizuku

"You got it." Said the substitute soul

_We ran until we found the others, and just in time too._

"You better get ready Uryu Ishida, 'coz I'm gonna beat the hell out of ya, do you know that?" asked Ichigo

_Uryu was about to launch an arrow, but Shizuku was faster._

"_Hado 4! Byakurai!_" exclaimed Shizuku

_And that was one Hollow that bit the dust._

"To you this is just a contest to see who can kill the most Hollows within a day. I think this is foolish, and I'm not interested in this game Uryu Ishida. If you were so sure that Quincy's are stronger than Soul Reapers, you would've fought me, Ichigo, Rukia, or Shizuku by now. You lack confidence in your skills, and that's why you crushed the Hollow Bait to lure all these Hollows here." I said

"Karen, Ichigo, look up there." Said Kon

_We looked to the sky and saw this huge crack in the sky! Something big is coming._

"The Hollows… they're gathering." Said Uryu

_Uryu then began running up the stairs._

"Where are you going? There are too many of them." Said Ichigo

"Now who's afraid Ichigo? If you don't have the guts just stay back here and watch. I told you before, I am the winner!" exclaimed Uryu

_He fired an arrow at some of the Hollows, which effectively eliminated them._

"Down here filthy Hollows. I, Uryu Ishida, the last of the Quincy's challenge you!" exclaimed Uryu

"Is he really the last one?" I wondered

"It was thought they all became extinct 200 years ago. Well, not exactly. They were systematically killed by the Soul Reapers. Soul Reapers were also referred to as other named back then. They were called balancers or regulators." Said Rukia

"What did they balance?" asked Ichigo

"The number of souls in the Soul Society and the human world does not change by much as time goes by. They just trade places between two worlds. It's the job of Soul Reapers to regulate that, to keep the balance. It worked until the Quincy's disrupted the equation. The Quincy's didn't cleanse the Hollows, they destroyed them completely. This meant that any soul which left the Soul Society for the human world would never return. If things had continued that way, the balance between the two worlds would have collapsed. It would've meant the apocalypse. So there were many meetings between the Soul Reapers and the Quincy's but to no avail. The Quincy's refused to listen to reason. Finally, there was no choice. The order was given for the Quincy's annihilation. Many have accused the Soul Reapers of arrogance for their actions." Said Shizuku

_When he finished, I couldn't help but feel a sudden guilt upon myself. Ichigo, Shizuku, and I started running in the direction where Uryu started running, and we soon saw a lot of Hollows. Found him._

"Uryu!" I exclaimed

_Ichigo started charging through the Hollows. It's official. Ichigo Kurosaki, you are insane._

"Alright Uryu, now I understand why you think Soul Reapers are your enemies. I don't know who was right and who was wrong, the Soul Reapers or the Quincy's, but it was so long ago that I don't see how it matters anymore! But I'll tell you one thing I know for sure Uryu, your methods are…" started Ichigo

"That's all ancient history." Said Uryu

"Huh?" wondered Ichigo

"I don't care about some slaughter that happened 200 years ago. It's just one more fact that was passed down to me from my sensei. In fact, when I heard that story, I think I sided more with the Soul Reapers than I did with the Quincy's. That is, until my sensei was murdered. He was a kind gentleman with no hatred in his heart! To the very end, he tried to convince the Soul Reapers that Quincy's were necessary! He kept encouraging them to work together! Suggesting new ways to fight the Hollows, but the Soul Reapers always had the same answer to his efforts! 'Don't interfere with our work' Then one day, five Hollows appeared and surrounded sensei. It was obvious that he couldn't take them on his own, and yet not one Soul Reaper came to his aid! They knew about the Hollows. Sensei was under constant surveillance and yet it was two hours before they finally arrived. If only they had listened to his advice, if only they had heeded his warning, then he wouldn't have been alone. Help would've reached him in time, and sensei wouldn't have wound up dead. Now do you understand Ichigo Kurosaki? Karen Tsukimori? That's the reason this is so important, why I have to prove to you and all Soul Reapers the superior strength of the Quincy! I realize that our methods are different, that our ways of thinking are at opposite poles, so if you really believe my way is wrong, then stay back and watch. Watch and witness the true power of…" started Uryu

"Shut up already!" Ichigo exclaimed as he kicked the back of Uryu's head

"Why am I friends with him, I will never know." I muttered

"What is your problem?" asked Uryu

"You messed up your own story. Your sensei wouldn't want you to prove the strength of the Quincy's. You said it yourself, his greatest hope was for Quincy's and Soul Reapers to work together! Isn't that right? Come on, think about it. When will you ever have a better chance to do that than right here surrounded by enemies? You say we're at opposite poles, but I say when two warriors are heavily outnumbered, the trick is to fight back-to-back." Said Ichigo

_What? Is he ignoring me and Shizuku? We're helping too._

"Very well." Said Uryu

"Now that was nice." Said Ichigo

"I didn't do it for you. I only did it because they were about to attack me." Said Uryu

"So what? That's alright. It's kill or be killed." Said Ichigo

"Sheesh, can't the guy take a compliment?" I wondered

"You know, you and I were the same at first." Said Shizuku

"True, but what's more important here is that when we work together, we can kill a lot more of these Hollows. Uryu, isn't that good enough of a reason to work together? After all, all four of us share the same single-minded purpose. We all have reasons to destroy as many Hollows as we can." I said

"You know my reason, but what's yours?" asked Uryu

"My mother and father were killed right in front of my eyes by a Hollow when I was four years old. I was left blind until I was nine." I said

"My mother was killed by a Hollow, the same one that killed Karen's parents." Said Ichigo

"And my best friend was turned into a Hollow." Said Shizuku

_I saw that Uryu had a look of shock on his face._

"I'm sure you'll agree that's enough of a reason all by themselves, but there's still more to it than that. After all the agony I had to suffer for many years, the trauma of losing my sight, and my family all at once. I don't want others to feel the same pain I did. My aunt and grandparents went through so much pain after mom and dad were killed. When I couldn't see it, it was painful for me to watch the change in their spirit energy. That's something I don't want to see or feel ever again, that sadness in their faces. I'm no hero, and I'm not trying to be. I know I can't protect everyone in the world, but that doesn't mean I'm going to be content protecting the people I can hold in my arms either. I'll protect as many people as I can. Your method of using bait to deliberately draw Hollows here was pointless, stupid, but pointless." I said

"Endangering innocent lives just to prove a point? I don't agree with that, but right now is not the time for arguments. We gotta work together, all four of us. So what do you say?" asked Ichigo

"What do I say? I think you two talk too much, but I understand what you're saying. I have to help you guys survive this battle or you won't be around for me to kick your butt." Said Uryu

"Sounds like a plan!" exclaimed Ichigo

"Those two are insane!" I exclaimed

"And to think I thought you were crazy before." Said Shizuku

"Be glad that we're fighting Hollows, otherwise I would've punched your lights out." I said

_We were defeating Hollows left and right, and soon we were all back to back again, and it seemed like Uryu noticed something._

"What the? Ichigo! Karen! Shizuku! Look at the sky." Said Uryu

_Something was coming through the crack in the sky. Something big, very big._

"What's that?" asked Ichigo

"I… I don't know." Said Uryu

"Well I know. It's a Menos Grande! It's a whole class higher than a regular Hollow!" exclaimed Shizuku

"Well, it for sure isn't your everyday garden variety Hollow." Said Ichigo

"That little bit of bait I used can't possibly have drawn this." Said Uryu

"Maybe you used the extra-strength bait!" I exclaimed

"Whatever the case, it's here." Said Shizuku

_The Hollows were on the offensive again!_

"Here they come!" Uryu, Ichigo, Shizuku and I exclaimed in unison

_They were charging at us, but then some kind of bazooka took them out. Whoa. That's something you don't see every day._

"Um, sorry we're so late." Said the girl with pigtails

"Jinta slams a triple!" a boy with red hair exclaimed

_And the last guy, with a lot muscle, well, single-handedly took out a Hollow, literally._

"I thought you might need a little assistance Ichigo, Karen, Shizuku." Said Kisuke

"Mr. Hat-and-clogs." Said Ichigo

"Kisuke." I said

"Urahara." Said Shizuku

_All three of them were beginning to take out the Hollows, a lot better than we were._

"If you don't mind me making a suggestion, why don't my crew and I take care of these small fries for you three while you go concentrate on that big guy. Oh uh, you should probably get started before it's too late." Said Kisuke

"Are you nuts! Only the Royal Special Task Force can handle this thing! No single Soul Reaper can handle it!" exclaimed Shizuku

_That's when it looked at us. Wow, this thing really puts people with a fear of heights well, down to size._

"That thing is too big for any of our weapons." Said Uryu

"Ha! Just because it's overfed, doesn't change anything. We're just gonna have to chop a little more." Said Ichigo

"Chop?" Uryu, Shizuku, and I asked in unison

"Yep, and the bigger they are, the harder they fall. Come on! Together we'll take that ugly sucker down! Let's go!" exclaimed Ichigo

"Ichigo! Don't be crazy!" exclaimed Uryu

"Ichigo, Ichigo stop! You four aren't enough to go up against Menos Grande!" exclaimed Rukia

_Ichigo charged at the thing, but then got kicked back. What does that guy have for brains?_

"We told you that would happen." Said Uryu

_He fired an arrow, but it only left a dent in the mask._

"Damn it! Hey Ichigo, so can you get up?" asked Uryu

"Sure, I'm good as new." Ichigo said as a head wound appeared

"That was the dumbest charge I think I've ever seen. What were you thinking?-! Did you actually think that would work?-!" I exclaimed

"Huh? Well, I figured, if I just kept chopping away on him like a giant tree, I'd eventually bring him down to the point where I could whack him on the head!" exclaimed Ichigo

_I groaned at the stupidity of that plan as Shizuku gave himself a face-palm. Welcome to my life Shizuku. We hope you enjoy your stay._

"I can't believe you're acting like this is some kind of little kid's game. Now get up and let's try a different strategy." Said Uryu

_As he touched Ichigo's zanpaku-to, his bow grew bigger! Wow, how did he do that?_

"What'll I try next?" asked Ichigo

"Ichigo, look." Said Uryu

"What did you do Uryu? How did your bow get so big?" asked Ichigo

"Just be quiet and listen. I think there actually may be a way we can defeat this thing. Are you ready to do it?" asked Uryu

"While you two are doing that, Karen, I'll need your help. You managed to use Raikoho without it blowing up, that's a good thing." Said Shizuku

"You mean blowing up completely. The last time I used Raikoho, it blew up ¼ in my face." I said

"Point is, I think you can handle this next trick. It's a Kido-based barrier. It'll keep the Hollow inside, but it's a tricky one. We'll need to use hand seals. It'll keep the damage to a minimum, and no one will be able to enter the area once the barrier is up." Said Shizuku

"And you're asking me for help because?" I asked

"With the potential you have, we can make the barrier as tall as Menos Grande." Said Shizuku

"Then that works for me." I said

_When Shizuku and I finally finished the barrier, the Hollow was directly over us, and it was charging something up. My hair began to stand on end as a subsequent result._

"Oh no. It's a Cero! If that thing hits us, there'll be nothing left of us!" exclaimed Shizuku

"Guess we better run." I said

_Just before we could, Ichigo pushed us out of the way, and blocked the attack with his zanpaku-to. But what's up with this Spiritual Pressure? Is it coming from Ichigo? If this is the vast amount of Spirit Energy he has within him, then that means he's been at minimum all this time. It's like a tap of water. Normally, people would just shut it off, but Ichigo did that, his Spiritual Pressure would skyrocket, just like it's doing right now! If that pressure were to be released somehow, I can only imagine what his potential could be. Suddenly, he wounded Menos Grande, and caused it to retreat! Ichigo Kurosaki, you are a man of mystery._

"I win!" exclaimed Ichigo

_Followed with an anime fall. Is that all you ever care about Ichigo?_

"Well, what's the matter you guys? You three don't have anything to say? I just saved your butts and cleaned up your mess Uryu. It seems like you could at least say thank you or congratulations or something." Said Ichigo

_He soon collapsed. Must be tired._

"That's weird. I can't move." Said Ichigo

_Suddenly, the distribution of Spirit Energy inside Ichigo was going berserk!_

"What's happening?" asked Ichigo

"The zanpaku-to, it's breaking down." Said Uryu

"Ichigo released all his Spirit Energy at one time. It looks like it put too much strain on his body." Said Shizuku

"Isn't there something we can do?" I asked

_Uryu then ran up to Ichigo and placed his foot on his zanpaku-to. His bow grew, and he fired an arrow. He was firing multiple arrows. Was he trying to lower his Spirit Energy to save his life?_

"What do you think you're doing?" asked Ichigo

"Shut up." Said Uryu

"But Uryu, your arm is getting torn apart." Said Ichigo

"I said shut up! How many times do I have to tell you? I have to make sure you survive so I have someone to pummel in the future! Stay alive Soul Reaper, so I can beat the hell out of you, and so you can try to do the same to me Ichigo!" exclaimed Uryu

_He kept firing arrow after arrow until Ichigo's Spirit Energy had finally stabilized. Uryu was then on his knees. Sheesh, those two are so alike._

"How am I supposed to beat up that guy? He's just so pathetic." Said Ichigo

_Ichigo, you really are an idiot sometimes._

_**Done and done! Wow, this took a while, but above and all, I'm finally done! Please review, and until next time, I'm sakuraphoenix, saying I heart you, signing off for now. Kan dao ni!**_


	13. Sacrifice

Chapter 13: Sacrifice

_**Hey everyone! It's me, sakuraphoenix, and I'm back with a new chapter! After Labor Day, I'll be back in school, so I'm really making these next updates count. Anyhow, disclaimer time.**_

_**Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach. I also do not own Shizuku. He belongs to my good friend Lyokowarrior1994**_

_**This will begin in Shizuku's point of view, and enjoy!**_

_I was inside Karen's closet, thinking about what had happened today. A Menos Grande appeared, and somehow Ichigo defeated it. Not only that, but Karen, who has no expertise in Kido managed to perform a Level 60 Hado. It won't take long for the news to get back to the Soul Society. I have to leave, but why did I stay in the first place? What has my heart grown attached to in this world?_

_The next day, Karen's P.O.V._

_I woke up to the sound of Mana screaming my name. When I opened my eyes, I saw that she was in a Gothic Lolita dress, a mini-version, and had a skull-and-crossbones patch on the left side of her head._

"What happened to you?-! You look like a nightmare!" I exclaimed

"Oh yeah! It's a nightmare alright! I mean, look at me! Your crazy cousins Umi and Tsubomi gave me this stupid outfit! They even sewed this stupid patch on my head!" exclaimed Mana

"I'd take off the entire outfit, really, but I'm just not that good yet. I mean, look at that." I said pointing to my desk

"What were you trying to make? A keychain?" asked Mana

"It's a gift for someone. It's supposed to be a necklace." I said

"Oh." Said Mana

"Yeah, I know, I suck at making jewelry out of string and cloth. I'm gonna ask Uryu for help during lunch. Maybe he can help with you." I said

"Thanks Karen." Said Mana

"Hop into my bag while I get breakfast. We'll leave in ten." I said

"So, who's the gift for?" asked Mana

"Tell ya later." I said

_I ran down and grabbed breakfast for Shizuku and myself as I got dressed for school. I then knocked the door to my closet._

"Shizuku! Time to leave! Come on, open up!" I exclaimed

"I heard you. I'm not deaf you know." Said Shizuku

"Um, is there something wrong?" I asked

"No, why?" asked Shizuku

"Because you sound like you're in a bad mood." I said

"I'm probably just tired. See you at school." Shizuku said as he jumped out of the window

"What's eating him?" I wondered out loud

_Shizuku's P.O.V._

_How could I sound so cold? Karen probably hates me right now. Hang on, since when do I care about what she thinks?_

"Hey! Shizuku!" exclaimed Ichigo

"Huh? Ichigo." I said

"What's up?" asked Ichigo

"The sky, what else?" I asked

"Ha-ha, hilarious. You know, I usually see you and Karen together." Said Ichigo

"She was still in bed when I woke up." I lied

"Oh. Shizuku, may I ask you something?" asked Ichigo

"Sure." I said

"You like Karen, don't you?" asked Ichigo

"What?-! Are you nuts?-! How can a Soul Reaper like me love a human? I can't." I said

"That doesn't mean it's not possible. Karen seems to like you too. She may try to hide her feelings, but whenever I see her with you, she smiles. It's been a long time since I ever saw her with a smile on her face." Said Ichigo

"She hardly smiles?" I asked in confusion

"Yeah. I mean, you've seen her uncle. He's almost as crazy as my dad. But that's not why she never smiles. She kinda hides behind that neutral face of hers for protection. She did have a hard time making friends when she was younger because of her hair and eyes. I guess the habit stuck." Said Ichigo

_Karen, is that why you smile when you're with me?_

_Later, Karen's P.O.V._

_I was helping Ichigo and the others cleanup because gym class was over, and I noticed that Ichigo was staring at the other girls._

"Are they playing or what?" wondered Ichigo

"Yo Ichigo! Checking out the girls, huh? Oh, I gotcha, staring at Orihime." Said Keigo

_Ichigo then forced him off as he glared at him._

"Hey! I thought I told you to never do that again!" exclaimed Ichigo

"Right, like you don't know it's totally normal for teenage boys to be obsessed with hot cuties!" exclaimed Keigo

"Okay, I admit, there's nothing wrong with that." Said Ichigo

"What are you saying?" asked Keigo

_I covered my ears before I could hear the rest, and then kicked Keigo's ass like it was a soccer ball._

"Come on you two, quit messing around and help us out." I said

"Right, sorry." Said Ichigo

_He lifted the rest of the soccer balls into the shed._

"There. That does it." Said Ichigo

"Thanks a lot Ichigo, Karen. Hey, that reminds me, have you guys seen Uryu anywhere? He's not in school today." Said Mizuiro

"Yeah, yesterday I saw him in the park. He was talking to himself and running around and acting like a weirdo, like he was having some kind of battle with imaginary monsters or something." Said Keigo

_This is bad. He was in the park when the Kido barrier was up._

"Hey, now that you mention it, maybe that is his deal. Maybe Uryu's in some drama class and he was there rehearsing for a play. Come to think of it, there were three other weird people there too. Those must've been his co-stars." Said Keigo

_Thankfully, Keigo is such an idiot. Looks like Ichigo and I dodged yet another bullet._

_Shizuku's P.O.V._

_I was watching with Rukia as the others came back inside after gym. I just can't help but stare when Karen is coming. But why?_

_Later, Karen's P.O.V._

_Uryu just walked through the door with bandages on his hands._

"Uryu! What in the world happened to you?" asked Ms. Ochi

"I, um, fell down the stairs." Said Uryu

_Lame. No one's gonna buy that one._

"Hmm… whatever you say. Well, take your seat and turn to page 110." Said Ms. Ochi

_He took his seat and opened the note I left on his desk._

"Don't let it bother you. His injuries aren't your fault Karen." Said Shizuku

"That's not why I was looking at him." I said

"Huh?" wondered Shizuku

_He looked at me with a look that said 'This better be good'_

"Alright class, quiet down." Said Ms. Ochi

_Later, Outside the classroom…_

"So, what's the favor?" asked Uryu

"Two favors actually." Said Mana

"Okay, let me guess, the outfit she's wearing." Said Uryu

"That and this. I tried to make a necklace, but it backfired. Can ya help?" I asked

"This is easy." Said Uryu

_He pulled out his sewing kit and finished the necklace. Wow, that was quick!_

"Thanks. It's perfect!" I exclaimed

"I'll work on the stuffed animal now." Said Uryu

"Her name is Mana." I said

"Whatever. Stand aside!" exclaimed Uryu

_He managed to get the outfit off Mana, and she was in a new one, that looked like it could be easily taken off. He even took off the skull patch. Mana was in a purple dress with a shawl. I have to admit, it looks good._

"Whoa. Looking good." Said Mana

"Thanks Uryu. I owe ya one." I said

_I walked outside in the shade of one of the trees where I opened up my lunch. It was nothing much really, just a small container of onion gratin soup with fruit agar as dessert. I also had some apple juice with me._

"Wow that looks good. Think I could have some?" asked Mana

"Do Mod Souls even eat?" I wondered

"I don't know, but I don't think stuffed animals can eat." Said Mana

"Hey, the next time I need you to replace me, I'll keep the leftovers of whatever I make and you can try it then. Sound good?" I asked

"Yeah!" exclaimed Mana

"Great. I still have some agar in the fridge, and I won't be able to finish all the soup in time before class begins again." I said

"There she is. Hey Karen! Why don't you join us for lunch?" asked Mahana

_I considered the option, and stood up and took my lunch with me._

"Ta-da! It's a Choco jelly sugar jam tart! It's an eggplant cream sponge cake with green bean jelly filling and chocolate frosting!" exclaimed Orihime

_Blech. I don't know what her taste buds are thinking._

"How can you eat stuff like that Orihime?" asked Tatsuki

"The question is how could she eat like that and not be as big as a blimp?" asked Michiru

"I guess her boobs absorb the calories." Said Ryo

"Hey, can I ask you and Rukia something Karen?" asked Mahana

"Go ahead." I said

"Rukia, do you have a crush on Ichigo? And Karen, do you have a crush on Shizuku?" asked Mahana

_Rukia coughed up her chocolate milk while my agar when down the wrong tube. I banged my chest twice before I drank all of the soup that was in the top to my soup container._

"Huh?" Rukia and I asked in unison

"I'll take that as a maybe, but what exactly is your relationship with those guys?" asked Mahana

"Well, he's my friend." Rukia and I said in unison

"Mahana, that's not the kind of question you ask straight out like that." Said Michiru

"I don't see why not. It's the question you wanted to ask for yourself, but none of you were willing to do it, so I just did it for you." Said Mahana

"Hey, just who says I wanted to know anything like that anyway?" asked Michiru

"Well I still wanna know the answer." Said Chizuru

"What do you have against Ichigo and Shizuku anyway Michiru?" asked Tatsuki

"It's not that I have anything against them, I just think there's something like scary-looking about Ichigo's face, that's all." Said Michiru

"Scary-looking? Well, I don't think so. I like Ichigo's face." Said Orihime

_Eventually, it just turned into blah, blah, blah after a while._

"Well? What's the story you two?" asked Mahana

"Well… okay, if I say, promise not to tell, please? If word gets to Uncle Kazuki, he'll go nuts." I said

"Promise." Everyone except Rukia said in unison

"Truth is… I like Shizuku a lot… more than just a friend. I just can't tell if I love him, or if it's just a crush." I said

"Wow. And to think we all thought that you would never fall in love Karen!" exclaimed Orihime

"Just who said that Orihime?" I asked

"Um, well…" started Orihime

"Okay, I get the picture." I said

"And as for me… Ichigo and I are… Ichigo and I are just friends, that's all there is to it." Said Rukia

"For real?" asked Michiru

"Yes." Said Rukia

"You mean you don't feel anything special for him? Not at all?" asked Michiru

"No, there is nothing else going on." Said Rukia

"Well, I need to practice my musical skills. Catch you later." I said

_I quickly ran off to the music room and grabbed my violin. Tomorrow's the day that I would bring back my violin home. But still, why do I suddenly feel this urge to play something for Shizuku?_

_After school…_

_I was waiting outside the gate for Shizuku when I finally saw him._

"Hey, I've been waiting for you, you know." I said

"You have, huh?" asked Shizuku

"Yeah. Thing is, I kinda wanted to give you something." I said

_I dug through my bag and dug out the necklace Uryu helped me with. It was a small tan pouch with Shizuku's name written on it._

"It's a necklace. I know that guys don't exactly like wearing girl stuff, but well, I saw this design the other day, and well, I thought I could sew one for you. Wow, listen to me, I'm babbling." I said

"So that's what today was about. You needed a little help with this. It's the thought that counts. Thank you Karen. I like it." Said Shizuku

"I'm glad you do. I wanted to make it for you as a way of saying 'thank you' for yesterday." I said

"I see. Well then, I have a request. Do you think you could play a song for me on your violin?" asked Shizuku

"Sure." I said

_I opened my violin case and set up my violin. I then began playing Sicilienne by Maria Theresia von Paradis. It was a beautiful piece, and I rarely played it, because I could never hit the high notes. But I really wanted to play well today for Shizuku. And I did it! I played all of the notes correctly!_

"It's beautiful, just like you." Said Shizuku

"Did you just say… that I'm beautiful?" I asked while heat rushed to my face

"I did, and I mean it." Said Shizuku

"Thank you." I said

"Come on, let's head back." Said Shizuku

"Yeah." I said

_When we got home, Shizuku snuck in through the window while I entered through the door._

"Karen! Hey, you're smiling! Did something happen at school? Did that guy from the cemetery ask you out on a date?" asked Umi

"It wasn't like that Umi. I'm just in a good mood." I said

"Then why is your face red?" asked Tsubomi

"Tsubomi! Oh man! Not you too!" I exclaimed

_Later, Shizuku's P.O.V._

_Karen was out like a light when I left the note on her desk. I'm sorry Karen. Forgive me. I began running, but I sensed four distinct Spiritual Pressures. So, the Soul Society is here._

_Third Person P.O.V._

_A girl with red-orange hair with a side tail was wearing a set of goggles. With her was a boy about her age with black hair and purple eyes._

"Well, it's clear that he was in a Gigai, but now he's in standard Soul Reaper gear. So Daichi, how do you want to handle this?" asked the girl

"Well, it's your call Hinata. But still, I don't care if he was big brother's best friend, he's coming back, like it or not." Said Daichi

"Don't worry. We won't dishonor the memory of Ren or Sakura. Our brother and sister died protecting the Soul Society, and we will do the exact same, and we'll start by bringing him back." Said Hinata

_**Done and done! Whew, this took me a while, but I'm finally done! Please review, and until next time, I'm sakuraphoenix, saying I heart you, signing off for now. Kan dao ni!**_


	14. Encountering the Himiwari Family

Chapter 14: Encountering the Himiwari Family

_**Hey everyone! It's me, sakuraphoenix, and I'm back with a new chapter! I know it's been a while since I last posted, but I've been busy. Plus, the hurricane was killer, but I had more time to write. Anyhow, disclaimer time.**_

_**Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach. I also do not own Shizuku. Credit goes to Lyokowarrior1994**_

_**This will begin in Shizuku's point of view, and enjoy!**_

_I was running away from Karen's house as I felt four distinct Spiritual Pressures. The Soul Society is here._

_*Flashback*_

"_Then run that blade through Soul Reaper." Said Karen_

"_Don't call me that. Like you, I have a name. My name is Shizuku." I said_

_*End Flashback*_

_I don't have a choice, but I have to go._

_*Flashback*_

"_I'll be sitting next to you from now on. My name is Shizuku." I said_

"_Ah! I- it's you!" exclaimed Karen_

_*End Flashback*_

_Truth is, I don't want to leave._

_*Flashback*_

"_So tell me, how do I drink from this thing?" I asked as I held up the strange small box_

"_You poke a hole with the sharp end of your straw." Said Karen_

"_What's a straw?" I asked_

_*End Flashback*_

_But I have to, because if I were to leave one day, these memories will only be a burden. Besides, there's one law of the Soul Society I must never break, no matter how my heart feels about it. I must never…_

_*Flashback*_

"_Did you just say… that I'm beautiful?" Karen asked as her cheeks turned red_

"_I did, and I mean it." I said_

_*End Flashback*_

_Fall in love with a human. I've stayed in this world for far too long. It's time to move on._

"_Hado number 63! Raikoho!_" exclaimed a female voice

_That voice!_

"_Bakudo number 39! Enkosen!_" I exclaimed

_A barrier of golden energy appeared, blocking the lightning strike. Strangely, I think Karen's is stronger, but I think she might've used the incantation. I then saw the caster, and my face widened in surprise. It's Hinata! Ren's sister!_

"I gotta hand it to you Shizuku, for a third seat, you really are irresponsible." Said Hinata

"Hinata Himiwari. What are you doing here?" I asked

_Hinata then drew her zanpaku-to and was preparing to strike me with it, while I blocked with my own._

"So are you telling me that you were so lost in thought that you didn't even notice us?" asked Hinata

"Wait, your brother is here, isn't he?" I asked

"That's right." Said another male voice

"It's been a long time Daichi Himiwari." I said

"Not long enough. I'll give you credit for staying in a gigai, but don't you think you've grown a little too attached to this world? So, spit it out, where's the human who borrowed half of your power?" asked Daichi

"What do you mean?" I asked

"A glint of concern showed in your eyes. You should know that Soul Reapers don't show emotion. You should know that passing your Soul Reaper powers to a human is a great sin. Be glad that the Council of 46 were compassionate and let us handle you Shizuku instead of the Stealth Force. Now, tell us where this human is, and we might spare this human's life. After we've taken you in, we'll kill her. Don't even try to protect her, you know what will happen. The only way we'll let her off the hook is if you willingly tell us. It's up to you now." Said Hinata

_Karen's P.O.V._

_I washed my face after I woke up from my nap. I saw that my closet was open and Shizuku was gone._

"When will that boy decide to come home tonight? Oh dear, I sound like a mom. I don't want any of that. I can't get back to sleep after that nightmare, and it's 2 in the morning to boot. Oh well, at least I can get a break from the Soul Reaper business." I said

_I heard a sound coming from behind the toilet, and I saw Mana! She was duct-taped like crazy!_

"Mana! How did you get back there?" I asked

_I got her out, but boy did she stink!_

"Thanks for doing that. You saved my ass back there." Said Mana

"Don't mention it." I said with my nose plugged

"I couldn't see who was coming in when I was tied up like that, so I had to rely on voices." Said Mana

"Yeah, sorry about this." I said

"For what?" asked Mana

"Blasting you in the face with air freshener." I said as I used the air freshener on her

"Okay, you warned me in advance, I forgive you. I didn't put myself back there! It was Shizuku!" exclaimed Mana

"Shizuku did that?" I asked

"Yeah! While you were out like a light, I saw him write a note on your desk, and then he stuffed me at the back of the toilet and duct-taped me! He left without saying good-bye, and wrote a note as an excuse!" exclaimed Mana

"On my desk?" I asked

_I took Mana and got to my desk and saw the note. I opened it, but it was all gibberish._

"What the hell is this? I have bad handwriting, but this takes the cake." I said

"Maybe there's a hint somewhere." Said Mana

"Like this?" I asked as I pointed to the drawing on the paper

"What is that?" asked Mana

"A tanuki. Wait a minute, that's it! Nuki means 'without' in Japanese, so get rid of the ta's! 'For certain reasons, I must go. Do not look for me and do not worry. After you read this, make sure that you burn it, and also, if you can, leave yourself hidden for a while.' He doesn't give us a reason for leaving out of the blue, and just tells me to hide? Unless, something must've happened between him and the Soul Society. He left… to protect us." I said

"What can we do?" asked Mana

"What else? I gotta go Reaper." I said

"Again?" asked Mana

"Remember that promise I made about you trying those foods I cook? You can do that while I'm saving Shizuku's ass." I said

_I managed to fish the soul pill and go Soul Reaper. I focused my energies onto Shizuku, and I found him! I managed to save him just in time._

"So who the hell are you?" asked the black-haired boy

"Didn't your elders teach you to be kind and introduce yourself to your opponent first?" I asked

"You're wearing a Shihakusho? I don't know you. Which squad are you from?" asked the orange-haired girl

"Why don't you figure that out for yourself?" I asked

"Oh, I get it now. You're the human Shizuku gave his powers to, aren't you? This saves us the trouble of finding you." Said the black-haired boy

_He lunged at me with his zanpaku-to while I prepared another Hado. Don't have time for Raikoho._

"_Ruler, mask of flesh and blood, all things in the universe fly! That which names all in nature, gathering of heat and war! Beyond the seas in reverse, take steps to the south! Hado 31! Shakkaho! Red Flame Cannon!_" I chanted

_I managed to catch the boy off guard, but the girl sliced her sword at me, and cut my cheek._

"It's over. Very soon you'll be dead, and Shizuku will get the powers you borrowed from him, and then, he'll go back to the Soul Society to face his punishment. You are as dumb as they come. Shizuku came out on his own, so you wouldn't have to get involved. You should've stayed home, but you had to come and play the hero. Just what did you think you could accomplish here? You're not a reaper, you're a fake. There's no way you could hurt a real Soul Reaper, you just got my brother by luck. You couldn't even leave a scratch on one of us." Said the girl

_I swung my sword, and cut off her hair holder, letting her hair fall to its normal length._

"Sorry, I couldn't resist. You let your guard down." I said

"She's right Hinata. Now I remember where I've seen her before. She's the girl from the reports, the one who could perform a level 63 Hado and she never had even a single lesson in the art of Kido." Said the boy

"What? Daichi, are you saying that this girl and her friend were the ones who went up against that Menos Grande? You've gotta be kidding me!" exclaimed Hinata

"Wow, you sound like an anime character from a series I like. Quite the knucklehead, and stupid too." I said

"Are you calling me an idiot?-!" exclaimed Hinata

"Maybe." I said

"What's your name then?-!" exclaimed Hinata

"My name is Karen Tsukimori!" I exclaimed

"T-Tsukimori? It's been 100 years since I heard that name. So tell me, what's the name of your blade?" asked Hinata

"Huh? This thing has a name?" I asked

"I knew it. You don't even know how to ask your zanpaku-to its name. I don't care if your last name is the same as our deceased sister's. Come back in 2000 years when you can fight me as an equal when the Himiwari family name is sewn into your head." Said Hinata

"Himiwari? Then you two are…" I started

"Pray, Inori no Mizu!" exclaimed Hinata

_Her zanpaku-to then changed to some kind of staff with a huge sapphire!_

"Open your eyes to the true power of the Soul Reapers!" exclaimed Hinata

_I was about to block her, but she fired energy arrows at me, but they felt like ice was stabbing my body._

"It's over now. You've lost to me, Hinata Himiwari and will die where you stand." Said Hinata

"I thought so. Your Sakura's and Ren's sister." I said

_Is this the true power of a Soul Reaper? How can my power compare to this?_

_**Things are not looking good for our heroine. Please review, and until next time, I'm sakuraphoenix, saying I heart you, signing off for now. Kan dao ni!**_


	15. A Tearful Good-Bye

Chapter 15: A Tearful Good-Bye

_**Howdy y'all! It's me sakuraphoenix, and I'm back with a brand new chapter of Spirits of the Past! I know that it's been a while, but I've been busy with the college applications and stuff. Anyway, it's time for the disclaimer!**_

_**Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach. I also don't own Shizuku. He belongs to Lyokowarrior1994.**_

_**Enjoy!**_

_The lights around me flickered before they shut off as I placed my hand on top of my wound._

"Sorry that it has to end this way human, but this what we call a difference in strength. A zanpaku-to can change its size and shape in response to the wielder's spirit energy. How do you like mine? Sorry, but your time's up in both realms. It's time for us to leave, unless you have something to say for your death wish." Said Hinata

_Shizuku's P.O.V._

_Now Karen knows that she can't win this fight, but knowing her, I know she won't give up. That's her, never backing down._

"Ready?" asked Hinata

_Karen, you can still run. Don't worry about me, please. Just run. Please!_

"No answer? Oh well." Said Hinata

_Without thinking, I ran to protect her as Hinata was about to attack._

"Karen! Run!" I exclaimed

"What are you doing?! Let go of me! Are you trying to make things worse for yourself?!" exclaimed Hinata

"Karen, get out of here! Hurry! You gotta go! Run!" I exclaimed

_I was surprised when I heard that she grabbed her zanpaku-to._

"But… but this can't be! You shouldn't have the strength to move!" exclaimed Hinata

_Karen's P.O.V._

"Looks can be deceiving. Didn't Sakura teach you that?" I asked

"How do you know that name?!" exclaimed Hinata

"Because I met your brother, Ren." I said

"But he's dead!" exclaimed Hinata

"I met him as a Hollow. He mistook me for her when we met, but I could tell that he loved her so much. His world shattered when she died, and you're fighting just to keep a family name alive. How stale. A name isn't everything." I said

"Well, I guess the only thing left for you is to die after you insulted our family name the way you did." Said Hinata

"Run! Please, just save yourself! I'm begging you, run!" exclaimed Shizuku

_I felt a small breeze blow, but this wind felt… strange._

"What's wrong? If you won't attack, then I will!" exclaimed Hinata

_Wait, this wasn't wind. This was… me. My spiritual pressure must've just increased._

"_Ruler! Mask of flesh and blood, all things in the universe fly, that which names all! In the name of truth and temperance, dig your claws into the wall of sinless dreams! Hado number 33! Sokatsui, Pale Fire Crash!_" I chanted

_Hinata used her staff to block the force of my attack, but she sustained a few burns on her hands._

"What the hell?" asked Hinata

"What's wrong? Is it just me, or have you slowed down just because I was on the brink of death?" I asked

_She was about to fire more of her ice arrows when I stepped out of the way, and before she summoned more, I held out a single finger._

"_Ruler, mask of flesh and blood, all things in the universe fly! That which names all in nature, gathering in heat of war! Beyond the seas in reverse, take steps to the south! Hado 31! Shakkako! Red Flame Cannon!_" I chanted

_Her ice arrows melted from the attack and she barely got out of the way of my fireball._

"You're pretty good at dodging my attacks, but it's going to end right here and now as the crescent moon above shines down upon us tonight!" I exclaimed

_I charged in with my sword, but before I could get to her, it broke, and my ringlets became undone. How did that happen? That's when I noticed someone else invited himself to the party. He was wearing the same coat that Aizen had, but seemed different. Is he a captain too? He had long black hair, wore some kind of green scarf, and had some kind of weird hair holders on his head. I know I've never seen him before, but I have this feeling that I have. Not only that, but he was holding the part of my blade that broke! He did that?! I prepared myself as he unsheathed his sword, but I barely saw him move._

"You… got me." I said

_Two more wounds opened up as I collapsed onto the ground._

"You're slow, even when you're falling." Said the man

_I know that voice._

'_Byakuya Kuchiki. It appears he hasn't changed much.'_

_That voice… it's different from the other one I've always heard._

"Captain Kuchiki! Don't do it!" exclaimed Shizuku

"What's the matter Hinata Himiwari?" asked Byakuya

"Um… it's nothing Captain Kuchiki. You really shouldn't have intervened though." Said Hinata

"Even I will get rusty if all I ever do is watch. Do you agree?" asked Byakuya

"Yes, I do." Said Hinata

"Karen! No, please! Stay alive!" exclaimed Shizuku

"Stay back!" exclaimed Daichi

"Daichi let me go! She's hurt!" exclaimed Shizuku

"It doesn't matter now, does it?! She's dead! If you touch even a hair on her head, they'll probably increase your sentence! Besides, you'd only end up increasing your sins for someone who's died!" exclaimed Daichi

"But… I was the one who got her involved in all of this. It's my fault that she's dead in the first place, all because I changed her destiny! So tell me Daichi, what the hell is wrong with me going to her?!" exclaimed Shizuku

"So even if it would make your sentence harsher, you truly feel you must help her. Is that what you're saying to me Shizuku?" asked Byakuya

"Yes, that's exactly what I'm saying Captain Kuchiki." Said Shizuku

"I understand Shizuku. This young woman bears a striking resemblance to your deceased sister Sakura, does she not Daichi, Hinata?" asked Byakuya

_That does it. I'm sick and tired of pretending to be dead. I grabbed the bottom of his pants just to get his attention._

"She's dead you say? Bears a striking resemblance to her? Quit talking about me as if I'm not here." I said

"Let go." Said Byakuya

"Sorry about my bad manners, but I didn't want to strike when I was so defenseless after all." I said as I let my hand release the hem of his pants

"You can still move even when you've been struck like that. You are something else human." Said Byakuya

"You wanted to say something to her, did you not?" asked Hinata

"Why? She's just a human. The actions she just took opened my eyes to the truth. I'm ready to face my sins. Captain Kuchiki, you may take me back to the Soul Society." Said Shizuku

"But… you can't leave here now. I mean… there's still work that needs to be finished." I said

_I felt a foot on my back, forcing me to stay down._

"You don't know when to give up, do you human? At least you saved that arm of yours. The more you move, the more blood you'll spill." Said Hinata

"There's no need to inflict a final blow on her now. She'll die of her wounds soon enough if you leave her be. We should go now." Said Shizuku

"Shizuku! Stop! Is this some kind of stupid joke?! Don't try my patience!" I exclaimed

"Don't move! Take even one step, or even try to come after me, and I'll… I'll never forgive you." Shizuku said as he looked my way

_He's… crying._

"You're going to die, so just stay put and live the last moments of it peacefully." Said Shizuku

"Alright, I will not inflict a finishing blow. With my two attacks against, I shattered both her soul chain and her soul sleep. There's no point in finishing her off like that other boy." Said Byakuya

"I-Ichigo? You… hurt Ichigo?!" I exclaimed

"The boy is most likely dead now. You too shall die within the hour. Even if you do survive, all of your powers will be lost, both your special Soul Reaper power and your Spirit Energy. Daichi?" asked Byakuya

"Yes." Said Daichi

_His blade then glowed with some kind of strange energy, and stabbed it into something I couldn't see._

"Now, open!" exclaimed Daichi

_Two Japanese-styles doors opened up and four black butterflies appeared. I extended my hand as if I wanted to reach Shizuku one last time before I couldn't see him again, but the doors closed to soon. I finally realized that it was raining. It seems like the heavens were crying too._

"Shizuku… why?" I wondered

_I closed both of my eyes as I felt something warm running across the sides of my cheeks. I was… crying. I couldn't stay conscious long, and I felt myself fade into darkness as a cold feeling washed over my entire body._

_/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\_

_My body… it feels warm, and I don't feel any pain. Am I dying? That's probably why I don't feel anything, but is that right? At first, my body was so cold, but now I feel warm. I opened my eyes… and saw some creeper looking at me! What the hell?!_

"AAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!" I screamed

"Oh, what a good reaction. Quite excellent." Said the man

"Get off me, you pervert!" I exclaimed as tried to push his head away from me

"Boss! You wanted me to let you know the moment Karen woke up! Well, she's awake!" exclaimed the man

"Wait a minute, you work for that hat-and-clogs Kisuke guy, don't ya?! Why are you under the covers?! Get the hell off me!" I exclaimed as I punched him off me

_I winced at the sudden pain that originated from my shoulder, and I was covered in bandages. At least whoever did the covering had some decency to cover my breasts. Wait a minute, I'm not dead. And this isn't my house. Where am I? The doors then opened to reveal Kisuke._

"Karen, you need to just relax. We were barely able to patch you up. If you move around too much, you'll die." Said Kisuke

"Is that so? I take it this is your place." I said

"Uh-huh." Said Kisuke

"Why am I here? Did you save me from dying of blood loss?" I asked

"It seems by the tone of your voice, you're a little on the upset side. You didn't want to me to save you?" asked Kisuke

"It's not that. I'm grateful that you saved my life. I'm just worried about Shizuku. He's gone back to the Soul Society, so how the hell am I supposed to save him? I couldn't even save myself against that Byakuya Kuchiki guy." I said

"Do you really believe that?" asked Kisuke

"Huh?" I wondered

"There's a way into the Soul Society." Said Kisuke

"There's… a way? How can I travel there?" I asked

"Of course I'll tell you, but on one condition." Said Kisuke

"What is it?" I asked

"For the next ten days, you and Ichigo will study with me and Tessai and teach you how to fight and use Kido properly." Said Kisuke

"But… if I do that, Shizuku could be dead by the time I reach the Soul Society." I said

"At least you're taking this more seriously than Ichigo did. The Soul Society usually has a one month waiting period before an execution. Usually, they respect their own rules. Let's hope that's the case with Rukia's and Shizuku's execution." Said Kisuke

"Rukia too? Kisuke, answer me this. If I choose to undergo this training, will I become strong enough?" I asked

"Yes, so long as you truly wish to save Shizuku from the bottom of your heart. Your will must be stronger than steel. You must abandon any doubts that you have. Ten days to prepare for a game of life or death." Said Kisuke

"Let me think about it, and I'll have my answer by this afternoon." I said

_**Done and done! Whew, this one really took me a while, but above and all, I'm finally done! Please review, and until next time, I'm sakuraphoenix, saying I heart you, signing off for now. Merry Christmas!**_


	16. Reclaiming Strength

Chapter 16: Reclaiming Strength

_**Hey everyone! It's me, sakuraphoenix, and I'm back with a new chapter! I know that it's been a while, but hey, I've been busy with a few things. Anyway, disclaimer time!**_

_**Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach. I also do not own Shizuku. He belongs to Lyokowarrior1994**_

_**Enjoy!**_

_I set my bag down on my desk as the last day of school before summer came around. Nothing feels real to me now. Being in school, nothing. Even my fights with Kazuki don't feel like I'm in reality anymore. I was almost beat up and killed by those guys from the Soul Society, and they took Shizuku, who's likely going to be executed for what he did. And the strangest thing of all is that Shizuku is no longer here. No one even remembers him, or that Shizuku ever existed. Is this what it means to return to the Soul Society? Just disappearing from this world like you weren't supposed to be here, and erased from people's memories? Every trace of Shizuku is vanishing right in front of me, and fading away into white._

"Alright students, I only have one more assignment for you. Everyone try to get yourselves back here in one piece in September! Class dismissed! Have fun." Said Ms. Ochi

_The whole class cheered, save for me and Ichigo. Even Uryu's cut the last day of school. I hoped that he remembered either Rukia or Shizuku._

"Karen!" exclaimed Keigo

_Which idiot turned out the lights?_

"Around and around and around she goes! Now then, see if you can hit the watermelon." Said Keigo

_Oh I'll hit a melon. AKA, your head! Bad move Keigo. Even if I'm not a Soul Reaper anymore, I can still sense your Spirit Energy!_

"Nice try, but that was my melon! It's okay though, because I don't need a head to think about anything anymore! School's out for summer and summer means the sea and the sea is where we're all going because I, Keigo Asano have planned a super trip for us to the beach! Ten fun-filled days of sunbathing, swimming, fireworks, food, and lots of other unsupervised, questionable activities, right?" asked Keigo

"Sorry, but I'm afraid I've already made other plans." Said Ichigo

"Same here. I'm training for a town-wide music contest that's going to happen in less than two weeks." I said

"I'm not too keen on the ocean either Keigo." Said Orihime

"I've got the nationals tournament to go to." Said Tatsuki

"Well, if Karen, Orihime, and Tatsuki aren't going, then neither am I." said Michiru

"Sorry, but I have some things I have to take care of." Said Sado

"And I'm flying to Hawaii tomorrow." Mizuiro said through a snorkel mask

"What?! What could possibly be better than going on vacation with me, you jackass?!" exclaimed Keigo

"I'm going on a great trip to Hawaii with my girlfriend and nine of her friends, so that's like eleven of us." Said Mizuiro

"Hawaii?! Just you and ten girls? So how'd you forget to invite me?!" exclaimed Keigo

_While the two of them were fighting, I took this as my cue to leave, and Ichigo followed me._

"Hey." Said Ichigo

"Hi." I said

"So, things feel different now, especially with Rukia gone." Said Ichigo

"Yeah, and Shizuku's gone too." I said

"You knew?" asked Ichigo

"Yeah. Hat-and-clogs explained everything to me." I said

_Everyone's moving on with their lives as if Rukia and Shizuku never existed. I guess that's the case since they both came from the Soul Society. But if that's true, what does it mean for me and Ichigo? What do I do now? When I heard footsteps, I turned to see Orihime. What's she doing here?_

"Orihime." Said Ichigo

"What are you doing? Is there something wrong?" I asked

"Ichigo, Karen, where are Rukia and Shizuku?" asked Orihime

_She remembers them?!_

"Why has everyone forgotten about them, like they never even existed? I need you two to explain what's happening around here." Said Orihime

_It took a while, but Ichigo and I spilled the beans to Orihime._

"So you're saying Rukia and Shizuku went back to this other world they came from?" asked Orihime

"Yeah." Said Ichigo

"Though I have to admit, I'm surprised. I had no idea that you were able to see spirits. How long have you been able to?" I asked

"Ever since the incident with my brother." Said Orihime

"Oh. Makes sense." Said Ichigo

"Wait, what incident?" I asked

"Orihime's brother came back as a Hollow and tried to kill her." Said Ichigo

"Oh. Yeah, it does make sense." I said

"I don't think I've ever properly thanked you for everything you did for him Ichigo, by guiding his spirit on to the other side. He's finally in a place where all he knows is peace and happiness now. Somehow I can just feel it." Said Orihime

"Is that so?" asked Ichigo

"Mm-hmm. I imagine Rukia and Shizuku are happy on the other side as well. They probably have friends and family waiting for them." Said Orihime

_I then remembered the tough guy from last night. I bet all of the money I have that he's Rukia's brother. They have the same last name after all, but I need to bring Shizuku back._

"We have to go and bring them back." I said

"But… why should you bring them back if they're happy there?" asked Orihime

"Because we know they're in serious trouble and it might just kill them if we don't get them out in time." Said Ichigo

_There was a long pause of silence before Orihime stood up._

"Here's what the Ichigo I know would do. He'd make a mad face and tell Rukia she can always visit friends and family later if she lives, but she won't have that chance if she's dead." Said Orihime

_Yeah, sounds like the Ichigo I know too._

"I bet you've already made up your mind, haven't you?" asked Orihime

_I then noticed Ichigo clenching his fist._

"You really were here. I know that. You belong here Rukia." Said Ichigo

_He then stood up for no reason._

"Thanks a lot Orihime." Said Ichigo

_He then started running to who-knows-where._

"What about you Karen? I know that you really liked Shizuku, maybe more than a friend." Said Orihime

"You know, you're right. Thanks Orihime." I said

_I got up and ran for home. Shizuku, you gave me my Soul Reaper powers… and showed me a whole new world. Am I supposed to forget everything I saw? I saw so much, yet I know so little, so that's why I have to regain my powers… as a Soul Reaper._

_Shizuku's P.O.V._

_Sheesh, is it too much to ask for some peace and quiet? I allowed Captain Ichimaru to let me play prisoner in the Himiwari estate, but someone keeps coming in every five seconds!_

"I hope you don't mind me coming in." said a familiar male voice

_I turned to see Captain Ichimaru._

"Captain Ichimaru." I said

"I just wanted to see how my third seat is doing." Said Gin

"You mean 'soon-to-be-dead third seat'." I said

"I've been told you haven't been eating." Said Gin

"Maybe I'm just not hungry." I said

"You don't have to lie you know. Your heart got attached to something in the human world, didn't it?" asked Gin

"Someone is more like it, but she's probably dead now. Captain Ichimaru, am I really going to die?" I asked

"Seems likely, but the Council of 46 may be lenient and allow you to live. All you did was stay in the World of the Living for too long and transfer your Soul Reaper powers, at least part of them, to a human, but I can't say for sure kid." Said Gin

_Karen's P.O.V._

_It was late at night and we were in some kind of basement. Well, even though it was bright, I feel like I've seen something similar to this place before._

"No way! This place is amazing! Who would've guessed all this time there was a huge subterranean training ground under my store?!" exclaimed Kisuke

"Oh forget the acting. Obviously you knew this place was down here, but I will admit it's impressive." Said Ichigo

"Same goes with me." I said

"So then, you two want to get down to business?" asked Kisuke

"Yeah, let's just get on with it." Ichigo said while cleaning his left ear

"Ichigo, be nice!" I exclaimed

"What? I'm just saying we should get started with this training session or whatever you call it." Said Ichigo

"Always be careful what you ask for." Said Kisuke

_He whipped out his cane and pushed Ichigo out of his body while I braced myself for when he did that. I landed more gracefully than Ichigo did, but it was really hard to breathe, and the chain of fate was connected to my heart._

"What's the big idea of knocking me down like that you…" started Ichigo

_He then placed himself on the ground. Guess he was having trouble to breathe too._

"It's hard to breathe when you're in the form of a soul, isn't it Ichigo and Karen? Right now, both of your soul sleeps, which is the wellspring of your spirit energy and your soul chains, the booster, has been destroyed, so now your souls are like any ordinary human with no spiritual power, and so before we can proceed, we must first restore the spiritual power you two have lost." Said Kisuke

"Alright already! Just tell us what we have to do!" exclaimed Ichigo

"You're so impatient. Alright, let's bring out your opponent and then we can start. Warrior! Are you ready for battle?!" exclaimed Kisuke

_And we have to face… the little girl?! He trying to get the Tsukimori special? And what is she holding in her skirt?!_

"Nice to see you again Ichigo, Karen." Said the girl

"Here's your first lesson. You must go up against Ururu two-on-one." Said Kisuke

"Huh?!" Ichigo and I wondered out loud

"The rules are quite simple. Lesson one is over when one or two of you is no longer able to continue the match. If you two can, I suggest going for the knockout punch." Said Kisuke

"Are you kidding?! You expect us to punch a little girl?!" I exclaimed

"It's always dangerous to underestimate your opponent Karen." Said Kisuke

_She then tossed us some protective gear._

"Please put on all of this protective gear Ichigo, Karen. I don't wanna kill you two." Said Ururu

"This whole thing's ridiculous. We're not fighting her." Said Ichigo

_She then ran so fast that I barely got out of the way in time! That was close! I got up the same time Ichigo did and made a mad dash for the headgear that was provided._

"If Little Miss Muffin hits us with another punch like that one, we'll be taking a long dirt nap!" I exclaimed

"You're telling me! Hat-and-clogs! How do we put this gear on anyway?!" exclaimed Ichigo

"Strap the headgear onto your foreheads!" exclaimed Kisuke

"Like this?" I asked

"That's right! Now yell as loud as you can, 'amazing headband of justice, in place! Amazing armor of justice, protect me now!' Go on you two! Say it!" exclaimed Kisuke

"The amazing headband of… what? That's just stupid!" exclaimed Ichigo

_Incoming!_

"Alright! We'll say it! Here goes nothing!" I exclaimed

"Amazing headband of justice, in place! Amazing armor of justice, protect me!" Ichigo and I exclaimed in unison

"Well, what'd ya know? I can't believe they actually said it." Said Kisuke

"WHAT?! You're gonna pay for that big time Urahara." I said

"Look out behind you two." Said Kisuke

_She's coming!_

"Oh great." Ichigo and I said in unison

_We finally got the gear to cooperate with us._

"Alright. Bring it." Said Ichigo

_And we're still dodging attacks like we're rabbits running from a snake._

"Amazing armor of justice my ass!" I exclaimed

"Yeah, more like armor of junk! Running for our lives is the only thing that's saving our lives!" exclaimed Ichigo

"Yeah, you said it!" I exclaimed

_Wait a minute, if we can outrun her, then that means our speed has returned, meaning, we can dodge those punches of hers. Ichigo seemed to have the same idea because he stood his ground the same time I did._

"Here goes." Said Ichigo

_Ichigo and I dodged both of her punches, and he began going on the offensive, until he cut her, and suddenly she went berserk on him! She kicked him in the face! Suddenly, I saw Kisuke grab her leg._

"Safe!" exclaimed Kisuke

_And that has to hurt Ichigo. Actually, Tessai saved him. Talk about a close one._

"Give us one more crack at her. Please." Said Ichigo

"Congratulations. I pronounce lesson one cleared." Said Kisuke

"What the hell are you talking about? She kicked my ass just now. I lost." Said Ichigo

"I never said anything about you or Karen to actually win the fight in order to clear the lesson, did I?" asked Kisuke

"I thought…" started Ichigo

"The fact is you two, Ururu here has the fighting skills to counter even full-fledged Soul Reapers. A mere human would never have the chance of defeating her outright. By the way, are you two still having difficulty breathing?" asked Kisuke

"Now that you mention it, no." I said

"Which means that we've successfully your spirit energy. The entire point of that lesson was to determine in a one-shot battle whether or not you could dodge Ururu's first attack. Spirit energy increases a lot faster when the soul is in danger of being destroyed. We just needed to find out if you two be able to raise yours fast enough to dodge that fatal punch." Said Kisuke

"And if we hadn't succeeded?" asked Ichigo

"Then you two would've died." Said Kisuke

_I sucked-punched in the face for that one!_

"WHY THE HELL DIDN'T YOU SAY SO IN THE FIRST PLACE?!" I exclaimed

"Ow, the sucker-punch. Didn't see that coming. Besides, I wasn't worried about it. I had a lot of faith that you two be successful. Well, so far so good. Now then, let's celebrate the return of your spirit energy, shall we?" asked Kisuke

_Suddenly, a giant axe appeared and cut our chains of fate! Oh snap!_

"Now let's continue with your second lesson." Said Kisuke

_Suddenly, I collapsed onto the ground, and I wasn't acting, and it didn't help that Tessai was standing on top of us._

"I feel like I'm… I'm dying." Said Ichigo

"So do I." I said

"That's because you are. You see, once the chain of fate has been severed, you can no longer return to your physical body. Death comes quickly." Said Kisuke

"Do you have to be so casual about it?" asked Ichigo

"That's not even the worst of it. Your chains will begin the encroachment where they were severed. When the end reaches your chests, you two will become a Hollow and that will be the end of both of you." Said Kisuke

"What do we have to do?" I asked

"If you two don't want to become a Hollow, you must become a Soul Reaper. If you two manage to clear lesson two, you'll find that in the process that you'll have regained your former powers as a Soul Reaper. Of course which path you choose, this is up to you." Said Kisuke

"As if you needed to ask." Said Ichigo

"Alright then, let's get this party started. Go!" exclaimed Kisuke

_A giant hole opened up in the ground, and we fell in! This is one hell of a deep hole, and when we landed, well, let's just say I didn't want to move for a while, and it didn't help that my arms were tied behind my back!_

"What the hell have you done to us?" I asked

"Bakudo 99 part one, Restrict. No doubt you'd think it rather harsh, but until you two have cleared this lesson, your arms must unfortunately remain bound you two." Said Tessai

"Why you…!" I exclaimed

"Damn it." Said Ichigo

"Ichigo! Karen! Start climbing back up the shaft you two! That's all there is to this lesson, otherwise known as the shattered shaft." Said Kisuke

"Yeah, that'll work with our arms tied behind our backs!" I exclaimed

"I wouldn't waste time either if I were you." Said Kisuke

_I then saw my chain of fate beginning to eat itself! I screamed out of fright._

"You two have a period of 72 hours at the bottom of the shattered shaft you two. That is how long it will take for a chain of fate to become completely encroached. By the end of that time, if you have not returned to the top of the shaft as a Soul Reaper, then we will have no choice but to kill the two of you." Said Kisuke

_**Oh dear, things are not looking good for this substitute Soul Reaper. How will this event turn out? Please review, and until next time, I'm sakuraphoenix, saying I heart you, signing off. Happy New Year!**_


	17. Karen's Fate

Chapter 17: Karen's Fate

_**Hey everyone! It's me, sakuraphoenix, and I'm back with a new chapter! I know that it's been a while, but I've been busy with my own stuff, so… long story with that. Thankfully, since I have time this week, I can update more stuff. Anyway, disclaimer time.**_

_**Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach. I also do not own Shizuku. He belongs to my good friend Lyokowarrior1994.**_

_**This will begin in Shizuku's P.O.V. Enjoy!**_

_My eyes widened in shock as I heard the news from Captain Ichimaru_

"What did you say Captain Ichimaru? I'm…" I started

"That's right. You've been put on probation. You're still allowed to perform your duties, but I must escort you at all times, safe for when you're off duty of course." Said Gin

"That's excellent news! And Rukia? What about her?" I asked

"I'm afraid her fate is far worse than yours. 25 days from now she'll be executed on the central execution grounds to suffer the greatest punishment." Said Gin

_I tried to hold back the tears that were forming. I was to live and Rukia was to die? I've been in the human world for far too long. We've been taught not to shed tears, because that signifies that the body has been defeated by emotion. Karen…_

_Karen's P.O.V._

_It wasn't easy trying not to punch four-eyes' lights out, especially since that I was really pissed off by this point._

"Lesson Two: Shattered Shaft." Said Tessai

"May I have your attention please? You two have a period of 72 hours at the bottom of Shattered Shaft you two. That is how long it will take for the chain of fate to be completely encroached. By the end of that time, if you two have not returned to the top of the shaft as Soul Reapers, then we will have no choice but to kill you two." Said Kisuke

"You bastard. So you intend to kill us?!" exclaimed Ichigo

"That's right. I do. Once you two have given up." Said Kisuke

"No way that's happening hat boy! I'll show you a thing or two with my fists once I get back up there!" I exclaimed

_Suddenly, I was forced onto the ground as I was in severe pain and I saw the chain of fate eating itself! Suddenly, after it ate its fill, it stopped. I waited for a while to see if there was a pattern, and there was. Ichigo seemed to notice it too. That was the fifth one. If I'm gonna get out of this shaft, I'm gonna do it when they're taking a nap! I began running up the wall like a mad woman, but then I slipped and fell. This is going to leave a mark._

"Ugh. Tackling it the old fashioned way isn't gonna work!" I exclaimed in fury

"Hey! Are you two getting hungry down there yet?" asked Jinta

"No I'm not hungry yet! Besides jerk, we're in our soul forms! Why the hell would we be hungry?!" Ichigo and I exclaimed in unison

"Well that's great to hear, 'coz I'll let you two in on a little secret. If you're in soul form and then you start to get hungry, it's a dangerous sign. It means you're just one step away from becoming a Hollow. It's okay to feel thirsty though, oh, and if you do get thirsty, go ahead and drink my spit." Said Jinta

"What?! Why you little brat!" I exclaimed

"Come on Ururu. Get over here. You can do it too." Said Jinta

"Come down here and try that you little brats!" exclaimed Ichigo

"Once we get up there, you two are history!" I exclaimed

_I don't how many times Ichigo and I tried, or how much time has passed, but I'm not giving up until I get up there! Just then, I saw Jinta climb down here with a plate of fruit._

"Yo. Thought I'd bring you two a little food down here. I figured you two would be feeling pretty hungry right about now." Said Jinta

"Ha, you must be nuts. I'm not getting hungry at all." Said Ichigo

"Me neither. We still have plenty of chain left." I said

"Well, that can't be helped. You'll find you'll lose track of time in a place like this." Said Jinta

"Of time?" wondered Ichigo

"You know, you two have been down here over 70 hours. I'm just thinking, some of the other souls started turning into Hollows by now. Oh, and uh, one more thing, the final encroachment… it's nothing like the other ones." Said Jinta

_As if on cue, the whole chain started going berserk!_

"The chains." I said in horror

_All I could do was watch until they created a hole right above my heart. Then, my whole body felt like it was in pain as a white substance came out from my mouth. I was screaming in pain as the white substance began to form on my face._

'_Sakura, can you hear me?'_

_I opened my eyes to see a sort of garden with Sakura trees all over the place. There was a small pond with the moon reflected in it, but there was no moon in the sky. Why?_

"Where am I?" I wondered

"You're not Sakura. You're Karen. I keep getting you two mixed off. Maybe it's because you two feel the same to me." Said the voice

_I turned to see the source of the voice. It was a woman with a white dress, silver hair, and she too had heterochromia, except one of her eyes was golden yellow and the other was moonlight silver._

"So, who are you?" I asked

"Who? What are you talking about? It's me." Said the woman

_Her lips moved, but I didn't hear anything come out._

"After this time. I thought… since you and Sakura felt the same… you could hear my name." said the woman

"Sakura? Do you mean… Sakura Himiwari?" I asked in wonder

"Yes. I knew her for many years." Said the voice

"You know I'm still here." Said another voice

_A woman with a royal blue kimono appeared, but I immediately recognized her._

"Sakura." I said

"It's nice to finally meet you Karen. You can finally hear our voices." Said Sakura

"What are you talking about? Where are we?" I asked

"Can't you tell? This is where she resides." Sakura said while pointing to the other woman

"This is my home, and in this world, the only people who know me the best are you and Sakura." Said the woman

"What are you talking about?" I asked

_I took a look, and they were suddenly in the trees! How did they do that!_

"Why are you sitting just over the pond?" asked the woman

_I looked, and then I fell in. Surprisingly, I could breathe._

"Soul Reapers rule over death. If you have time to worry, you have time to spare. We Soul Reapers can control many spiritual beings." Said Sakura

"Look, you may be a Soul Reaper, but I'm not!" I exclaimed

"I was a Soul Reaper. My powers are lost, and I have no physical form. All I am now is a spirit. Remember this, the powers you lost when Byakuya Kuchiki took them away was nothing more than the power Shizuku gave you. He had hoped to stop things by taking his power, and by destroying it, he thought he could end things once and for all, but he was careless. And his mistake was that he failed to acknowledge that you have Soul Reaper power of your own!" exclaimed Sakura

"You mean… I have Soul Reaper power?" I asked

"Yes. You saw how you could cast a Kido efficiently without it blowing up once it reached a certain level. The power you had was awakened with the help of Shizuku's own power. It hid itself in the very depths of your soul and is still there. Now, you must find your power before it is too late. See those boxes falling down, inside one of them is the power you seek. Now, time is of the essence." Said the woman

_But which one has my powers? They all look the same. Wait a minute! Soul Reapers spirit ribbons are red, so… track the ribbon!_

"Gotcha!" I exclaimed as I grabbed the red ribbon

_I pulled the ribbon, and I found the hilt to my zanpaku-to. Wait, that woman… just who is she? Is she also a spirit, or is she the spirit of the zanpaku-to? If so, then that means that the name of my zanpaku-to has to be… it has to be her name as well._

"You have done well. It is not time for you to know my true name just yet, but you have heard my name all your life." Said the woman

"Are you…" I started

_The area I was in started shaking._

"Hurry! This world is falling apart! Pull me out, quick!" exclaimed the woman

_I grabbed the hilt, and pulled her out, and when I did, I felt a surge of power within me, and I escaped the pit. I grabbed the hilt of my zanpaku-to, and broke the mask that had formed on my face._

"Whew, it was hard to breathe through that thing!" I exclaimed

"Hey, wait a minute, aren't you two supposed to be Hollows?" asked Jinta

_I flexed my hand muscles, and things were a go on their end._

"Congratulations. It seems you two went and became Soul Reapers again. Well done. Lesson two, completed!" exclaimed Kisuke

"Shut up!" Ichigo and I exclaimed before we used the hilt of our zanpaku-to's to hit his head

"Well, well, well, I guess you weren't expecting us to come back alive, weren't ya?" I asked

"I swore to myself that if I ever made it out of that hole, I would kill you the first chance that I got." Ichigo said while he had a bunch of tick marks on his face while his face looked like a wild animal's

"Hmm… your timing is perfect. With all of your spirit, we should be able to get you two started on lesson 3." Said Kisuke

"What did you just say?" I asked

"And the best part is, lesson 3 has no time limit. Knock off my hat with your zanpaku-to, and the lesson will be cleared." Said Kisuke

_Even without a blade, Ichigo and I managed to make a dent in his hat._

"Not bad, considering that your zanpaku-to's are broken." Said Kisuke

"I wouldn't be so smug, because we haven't really gotten down to business yet. Look, why don't we just forget about your concept of no time limits. I think we could end this lesson in five minutes." Said Ichigo

"Sounds good. Five minutes. You say that's all the time you two will need, right?" Kisuke asked as he unsheathed a sword within his cane

_**Done and done! I'm cruel, aren't I? If you want to know what happens next, keep reading. Please review, and until next time, I'm sakuraphoenix, saying I heart you, signing off for now. Guo nian hao! Happy Chinese New Year!**_


	18. Fight to the Soul Society

Chapter 18: Fight to the Soul Society

_**Hey everyone! It's me, sakuraphoenix, and I'm back with a new chapter! I know, I'm terrible with the updates! I've been busy! The good news is, I have time this week to work on my fanfics, so you should expect more updates! Anyway, disclaimer time.**_

_**Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach. I also do not own Shizuku. He belongs to Lyokowarrior1994**_

_**Enjoy!**_

_Ichigo Kurosaki, what the hell have you gotten me into now?! I swear to god, if Kisuke and his sword don't kill me first, I will! Seriously, for a shopkeeper, he knows how to use a sword!_

"Hey, not bad, considering you're using a little kiddie sword." Said Ichigo

"Oh, a complement student. Don't expect me to go easy on ya!" exclaimed Kisuke

_I was running for my life! I don't know what strawberry's thinking, but nevertheless, that's one sword I don't want to cut me! Oh, speak of the devil, he just got cut by it. Wait, got cut?! Aw crap, that's a zanpaku-to!_

"You let your guard down. You thought because I'm not a Soul Reaper I couldn't have a zanpaku-to, and you're thinking there's no way I can hurt you. You are so naïve. Awaken now, Benihime." Said Kisuke

_Benihime? That name… I've heard it before somewhere! But that's not the point! His cane just changed into a legit zanpaku-to!_

"I assure you, this is a real zanpaku-to. Very real." Said Kisuke

_Kisuke called his zanpaku-to Benihime, and that Hinata chick called her zanpaku-to Inori no Mizu. The only thing in common with the two… is that each of them have a name, while I couldn't even ask my zanpaku-to spirit her own name._

"A name? From our zanpaku-to's?" I wondered

"Yes. Each zanpaku-to carries a unique name, and this one is Benihime, the Red Princess. Let us show you." Said Kisuke

_He swung his sword, and I jumped into the air to avoid that hit! Dang that was close! Until he began to charge in! All I had was part of a sword to defend myself! Well, better than nothing!_

"I'll give you credit for not running away at least, and for parrying with that broken stump. You're not short on nerve, just the same. Benihime is much too fierce to let a blade like that stop her." Said Kisuke

_When I saw his blade cut through mine like it was butter, I took that as my cue to make for a break for it! And Ichigo just had to be the idiot to protect me!_

"Don't you get it you two? Your swords have no concentration of spirit energy in them." Said Kisuke

_Ichigo just blindly swung his sword, but missed._

"It has size but that's all it has. It carries a zanpaku-to shape, but none of the necessary internal strength, so I can cut it… just like that." Kisuke said as he sliced Ichigo's sword

_I hid behind a large rock, and held the hilt of my zanpaku-to close to me, like a child holding a stuffed animal on a rainy night and it's all thunder and lightning with the wind outside. What can I do?_

"Now you no longer have any sword at all. Do you plan to continue attacking me with nothing but the hilt? I suppose you could still manage to knock my hat off with it, but this time Ichigo, you and Karen are gonna need a lot more than blind luck or courage. I think it's only fair to warn you, if you two try to go against me with that inferior weapon, I will kill you, and Karen." Said Kisuke

_I gritted my teeth out of frustration. I wasn't going to let my friend die because of me, or anyone die for any reason. If there's something still worth protecting, then I will protect it!_

"_That's the spirit Karen._" Said Sakura

"_You've found your reason to fight, and now we will help you._" Said my zanpaku-to spirit

"You can do that?" I asked

"_Well, it'd be easier for you to use her real name, but… I think it's better for you to learn it when the time is right. My spirit energy has been fused with your zanpaku-to the same time I died 100 years ago. I won't turn into a Hollow, but my existence is tied solely to yours. The moment you die, I die as well, but not only that, my memories are also important, and the moment you say her true name, you'll see them all, whether you want to or not._" Said Sakura

"Sakura, just… what did you mean back there, your zanpaku-to spirit? She said that I can't hear her name, yet I've heard it all my life. What does that mean?" I asked

"_It'll be revealed in time._" Said my zanpaku-to spirit

"_But now it's time to face forward and protect those who are precious to you. Now, it's time!_" exclaimed Sakura

"_Call us out!_" Sakura and my zanpaku-to spirit exclaimed in unison

"Zangetsu!" exclaimed Ichigo

"Summon forth the light…" I started

_Kisuke just stood there, watching us as we both released a strong blast of spirit energy, and I saw my broken blade begin to transform. Don't worry Ichigo, I've got your back!_

"Tsuki no Sakuramori!" I exclaimed

_My blade turned into a Japanese slapping fan. Not a lot, but I can work with it at least. Nothing like Ichigo's blade, man, talk about huge!_

"Well, it's about time, now that you two have managed to draw your zanpaku-to's, time for lesson number three. Are you two ready for that?" asked Kisuke

"Don't take this the wrong way Mr. Urahara…" started Ichigo

"Huh?" wondered Kisuke

"To be honest, you better dodge this." I said

"What?" asked Kisuke

"Because we can't control it yet!" Ichigo exclaimed as I felt a rise in Spiritual Pressure

_Kisuke had a shocked look on his face as I got into a fighting stance with the harisen._

"Scream, Benihime!" exclaimed Kisuke

_Ichigo then released his spirit energy into a massive attack from Zangetsu, and with Tsuki no Sakuramori, I had used her like a Tessen Fan, and gotten rid of some of the local rocks so Ichigo could have a better shot. Man, she could take some punishment, but I'm not doing anything like that for a while._

"Phew, good thing I protected myself with my Blood Mist Shield. Without it, I probably would've lost an arm just now. But that wasn't very nice you two. I do believe you killed my hat. Impressive you two, I didn't expect you could do that with a single swing of your sword Ichigo, and you Karen, your harisen is full of surprises, one of which has been revealed. Ichigo, Karen, you two are two frightening kids, you know that?" asked Kisuke

"Yeah, he gets that a lot, so do I. Speaking of surprises, for some weird reason, my harisen feels heavier now. Got any ideas about that?" I asked

"Hmm… at the moment, no. So, how about it Ichigo?" asked Kisuke

_He was out like a light! Oh great, am I gonna have to call him Sleeping Beauty now?!_

"Lesson three, cleared." Said Kisuke

"Forget your stupid lesson! Don't tell me Ichigo and Zangetsu did all of that!" I exclaimed as I looked at the damage left behind

_/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\_

_Well, it's been a week of training, and I've finally gotten the hang of Tsuki no Sakuramori. After 'lesson three', Kisuke looked kinda bummed, but I wasn't going to ask why. The music contest on the other hand, well, I actually did pretty well. I was one of the top three musicians in Karakura, so in about a month, I'll be participating in the nationals, which will also be hosted here. But for now, I have to wait until tonight before the gate to the Soul Society can open, so here I am, at the fireworks festival, for what could be my last summer vacation._

"Isn't this exciting everyone?! We're finally here at the fireworks festival!" exclaimed Keigo

"You're so enthusiastic." Mizuiro said while sweat-dropping

"Why not?! Who doesn't love to watch stuff on fire and explode?!" exclaimed Keigo

"Hey, don't forget about me. In fact, Kazuki and I slept over there in sun last night in order to save the very best spots." Said Isshin

"Just follow us, and we'll go there now!" exclaimed Kazuki

_I just drowned them out and watched as they ran over._

"Well… might as well. Guess I'll go too. Sorry guys, it's always like this. You two don't have to come along if you don't want to." Said Ichigo

"Oh, don't worry about me Ichigo. I'll probably catch up with everyone later. You just go ahead and have fun." Said Tatsuki

"Yeah, me too. Besides, I'd like to be alone for a while to think." I said

"Alright, see ya." Ichigo said before walking off

_I began to walk to the spot near the river where I regained my sight. As much as I hate Grand Fisher, in a strange twist of fate, I also have to thank him. He's the reason I was able to see again. I learned a lot from you Shizuku, and you're the reason why I'm going to the Soul Society. If you're dead before I can ever tell you my feelings, I'd never forgive myself. Music may be a part of my life, but you're a part of it too, and once a person is a part of my life, I never forget that person. The fireworks soon started, and I had my mind made up. Wait for me… Shizuku._

_Later that week…_

_I opened my window to let in some fresh air while holding a sleeping Mana in my arms. I guess I am a sucker for cute things. It's been a week since Urahara last spoke with me and Ichigo. It's almost 1 AM, and my window's open._

"You know, I've got a really bad feeling about this." I said to myself

_And then, I could've sworn I heard something, and the next thing I knew, something crashed on my bedroom wall! The message read 'Urgent, meet us outside the Urahara Shop immediately.' I nearly screamed out of fright._

"Who the hell contacts people like that?! This is like some TV crime scene message written in the victim's own blood! This had better not stain my wall!" I exclaimed

_I squinted my eyes at a P.S._

"What now?" I asked

_This part read, 'P.S., if you're thinking this message is like some 'written in the victim's own blood' cliché from some TV show, then you obviously have no sense of humor.'_

"Oh shut up!" I exclaimed as I threw a pillow at the message

_After making sure that everyone was asleep, I snuck out. I guess, this is good-bye, for now, at least, I hope._

"Good morning… Karen!" Kazuki exclaimed as I side stepped to avoid him falling onto me

_That's gotta hurt._

"This is how you say 'good-bye?!' What the hell is wrong with you?!" I exclaimed

"Thing is, before ya left Karen, I wanted to make sure you had this with you." Said Kazuki

_He was holding a Cherry Blossom charm on a charm bracelet._

"What the hell am I supposed to do with some charm bracelet?" I asked

"Watch your mouth. It was something your mother wanted you to have a long time ago." Said Kazuki

"Mom? Then why the hell are you giving it to me now?! I can't keep this!" I exclaimed

"'Course ya can! Who said I was giving it to you forever?! Just make sure you give it back before Homura knows that I gave it to you." Said Kazuki

"Okay, fine, whatever. See ya around, and don't bother to follow me." I said

_I walked to the Urahara shop, and arrived just as Ichigo and Chad did apparently. Ichigo, I can understand, but Chad?! What is he doing here?_

"Well, well, if it isn't Karen, and right on time too. Welcome to the club." Said Kisuke

"Chad? What are you two doing here?" I asked

"Rukia and Shizuku saved me once. I want to help them out if I can. I'm going too." Said Sado

"Huh?" I wondered

"What's the matter? Are you hard of hearing or something?" asked Uryu

_I turned around and saw Uryu, and fought the urge to laugh. What the hell is he wearing?!_

"Uryu." I said

"I don't take defeat well, especially when it's at the hands of a Soul Reaper, so I'm going to." Said Uryu

"What?" wondered Ichigo

"So I guess we're all present and accounted for!" exclaimed Orihime

_No way, her too?_

"Orihime?" I asked

"Yes, I got the message too." Said Orihime

"Uh… okay. But please, can someone explain to me what's going on?" I asked in complete shock

"You and me both." Said Ichigo

"You're a little slow on the uptake, aren't you?" asked a male voice

"Yoruichi!" exclaimed Orihime

"Don't tell me you kids didn't notice the increase of the hidden powers in these three friends of yours. There have been so many clues. You two need to be more observant than that if you want to survive. While you two were training and training to regain your Soul Reaper powers, the three of them were also training in their own way. Instead of asking stupid, meaningless questions, you ought to be thinking now." Said the cat

_Did… the cat… just… talk?_

"The freakin' cat just spoke to us!" Ichigo and I exclaimed in unison

"His name is Yoruichi. He's not just a cat." Said Orihime

"It is hard to get used to." Said Uryu

"I'm still adjusting to it myself." Said Sado

"Alright, alright, come on everybody. Let's take this little party inside the store. There are things we can't talk about out here in the open." Said Kisuke

"Oh come on, it's almost 2 in the morning? Who the hell's awake at this time besides us?" I asked

_We headed back inside the store, and into the training grounds._

"Wow! This is so incredible! Who knew there was something this humongous below the shop?! Isn't it amazing?!" exclaimed Orihime

"I guess." Said Ichigo

"What a warming reaction. It's such a pleasure to have you on this trip my dear." Tessai said while crying

"The pleasure is all mine Mr. Tessai." Said Orihime

"Alright everyone, your attention please. All eyes, right over here. Voila!" Kisuke exclaimed after he snapped his fingers to make some kind of gateway appear

_Am I supposed to be impressed?_

"This is the gate that leads to the Soul Society. It's called the Senkaimon, or a tunnel-world gate. I'm gonna tell you all how to successfully pass through it, but first, we need to change two things." Said Kisuke

_He used his cane on me and Ichigo, and turned us into Soul Reapers. Sheesh, I did not expect that, and I was pissed off as is._

"Hey, how about giving us a little warning next time Urahara?!" exclaimed Ichigo

"Ugh, you're impossible, ya know that?" I asked

"Alright, listen up. Unlike normal gates, this one has a spirit particle conversion machine." Said Kisuke

"What the hell are you talking about?" asked Ichigo

_I whacked him on the head for that comment._

"Use your head strawberry! Orihime, Chad, and Uryu don't have spirit forms like we do! The converter turns their physical forms into spirit forms so they can safely make it into the Soul Society without turning them into souls!" I exclaimed

"Well, someone's on the ball today. Passing through the conversion machine will allow you to stay in your present forms." Said Kisuke

"Alright, we understand! Let's get going… ow!" Ichigo exclaimed as Kisuke jabbed him with his cane

_I owe ya one Urahara._

"But there's a catch. The window of time the gate can be kept opened for you is… four minutes long." Said Kisuke

"Hold it, four minutes?! I don't even know if we can make it." I said

"An old friend of mine could make it in two, but she mapped out the paths ahead for years, so that's how she knew the way. But with you guys, four minutes is all I can give you. After that, it'll close, and anyone who hasn't made it through yet will be trapped forever in the Dangai, the Precipice World between this world and the Soul Society." Said Kisuke

"How will we ever make it?" asked Orihime

"Go forward. Remember what I told you about the connection between heart and soul. You must have no doubt, have no fear, do not think of those you are leaving behind, the will to go forward will be your guide, and don't look back. Only those who can do these things can follow me through the gate and survive." Said Yoruichi

"We all know this already, or we wouldn't still be here. Quit with all your preaching and let's do this thing now!" exclaimed Ichigo

"And you understand that if you lose, you can never return to this life again, right?" asked Yoruichi

"Then I guess losing isn't an option." I said

"Exactly." Said Yoruichi

_The gate then opened, and I was getting goosebumps._

"So, everybody ready? As soon as it opens, run in as fast as you can." Said Kisuke

"Right." Said Ichigo

"Good luck." Said Kisuke

_Shizuku… wait for me, please._

_**Done and done! Man, talk about taking forever, but above and all, I'm finally done! Please review, and until next time, I'm sakuraphoenix, saying I heart you, signing off for now. Kan dao ni!**_


	19. Entering the Soul Society

Chapter 19: Entering the Soul Society

_**Hey everyone! It's me, sakuraphoenix, and I'm back with a new chapter! I know, I'm late with the updates! Well, a lot has happened. Right now, I'm in China, on vacation, but that doesn't give me the excuse to not update my stuff. Anyways, disclaimer time.**_

_**Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach. I also do not own Shizuku. He belongs to my good friend Lyokowarrior1994**_

_**This will begin in Shizuku's point of view, and enjoy!**_

_Well, other than the fact that I have to be monitored by Captain Ichimaru, it seems like a peaceful day. Nothing could go wrong, until the alarm went off. Okay, I spoke too soon. It's probably a drill though. Nothing too big to worry about._

"Attention. Red alert. Red alert. Intruders detected in West Rukon. This is not a drill. Repeat. Red alert. Breach detected in West Rukon." Said a male voice

"What the hell is going on around here?" I wondered out loud

_Karen's P.O.V._

_Kisuke Urahara, if we don't make it out of here alive, I swear, I'm going to kill you!_

"Don't look now, but that section we just came through is collapsing on us. I'm running as fast as I can, but I still don't think we're going to make it through!" exclaimed Uryu

"Quit looking behind you and concentrate your efforts on running. If the restricted current swallows you up, then it's all over." Said Yoruichi

"Yeah, I'm agreeing with Yoruichi!" I exclaimed while running

_And the next thing he knew, he was caught by the wave, by the cape. That ridiculous outfit is to blame here._

"Uryu. I knew that stupid outfit of his was going to get caught." Ichigo said while holding the hilt of his zanpaku-to

"Hold it! You mustn't do that Ichigo! The restrictive current entangles the spiritual body. If you reveal yourself, using a zanpaku-to, it'll swallow you too." Said Yoruichi

_Next thing I saw, Chad tore his cape apart like it was paper!_

"Thanks for that Chad." Said Uryu

"Let's go." Sado said while picking up Uryu

_We all continued running like there was no tomorrow!_

"What do you think you're doing? Hey! Put me down, will you?! I can run on my own!" exclaimed Uryu

_Fat chance of that! We're not letting you get caught by the current again._

"I don't mean to bother you while you're running, but, something else is coming." Said Uryu

_And it was some kind of giant black worm with a glowing yellow eye!_

"Ah! Yoruichi, what is that?!" exclaimed Uryu

"It's the cleaner! It comes through here every seven days to clear out the passageway, and it's just our bad luck that today is the day! Don't look back at it! That'll only slow you down! Just keep running, or it'll crush you to batter! Go! Go! You're almost to the exit!" exclaimed Yoruichi

_Easy for you to say! You're the one ahead of us!_

"Guys, we're not going to make it!" exclaimed Uryu

_He's right; I can feel it getting closer to us. Orihime then stopped for some weird reason and touched her hair clips, which immediately began shining a bright light._

"Hinagiku! Baigon! Lily! Santen Kesshun! I reject!" exclaimed Orihime

_It created some kind of shield, which pushed us out of the Dangai and into what looked like old Japan, though that, was some landing! Ow, that's gonna leave a mark._

"Hey, is everyone alright? Ichigo, the way you landed showed tremendous artistic flare." Orihime said while gliding up to Ichigo

"Great, thanks a lot." Ichigo said sarcastically

"I knew it'd be rough getting through that gate, but I had no idea it would take such a toll on my equipment. I wasn't expecting to have to use my spare cape so soon." Uryu said while pulling out another cape

_Uryu, you are almost as insane as Ichigo, if not, just as!_

"Aw man. Don't tell me he brought a change of clothes." Said Ichigo

"You can say that again." I said

"Guys, isn't this great? We all made it, and everyone's okay!" exclaimed Orihime

"It's not great! We were lucky!" Yoruichi exclaimed while head-butting Orihime in the eye

"My eye!" Orihime exclaimed while holding her right eye

"I told you not to expose your spiritual powers in there. We're fortunate that the cleaner only made contact with the shield area. If it had even touched any part of the six flowers themselves, you'd all be dead now." Said Yoruichi

"I… I didn't know." Orihime said in a disappointed tone

"Lighten up already. How was Orihime supposed to know that? I didn't know, and I was about to cast a kido myself. In any case, if it wasn't for her quick thinking, we wouldn't have made it through that gate period." I said

"I don't think any of you appreciate how serious this situation really is." Yoruichi said while still mad

"Listen; doesn't it seem awfully quiet around here?" asked Uryu

_I closed my eyes, and all I heard was the wind._

"Yeah. Is this place really the Soul Society?" asked Ichigo

"Yes. And the specific area we're in is called the Rukon District. It's here in the Rukon District that souls come to live when they first arrive in the Soul Society. As a matter of fact, it's right on the perimeter of the Sereitei, where Soul Reapers live. It's the poorest section, but also the one with the greatest freedom, and it has the largest population of souls within the Soul Society." Said Yoruichi

"If that's true, then where is everybody?" asked Uryu

"Hey, look at those buildings over there. Why do they look so different from everywhere else?" asked Ichigo

"Isn't it obvious? That's the Sereitei." I said with an annoyed look on my face

"Jackpot! Alright, you Soul Reapers, here I come!" Ichigo exclaimed while running to the Sereitei

"Strawberry Kurosaki! Get back here this instant! If it was that easy to get into the Soul Society, we wouldn't have risked our lives to get here!" I exclaimed while running after him

_And some kind of wall appeared when I finally caught up to Ichigo. I'm so glad I dragged him away in the nick of time. That was close._

"Well, well, it's been a long time since anyone tried to pass through the spirit gates without a travel permit." Said a male voice

_The dust finally settled, and my eyes widened in surprise._

"And I don't get many guests these days, so welcome to you, little man and woman." Said the huge guard

_The guard then slammed a giant axe down on the ground which sent Ichigo flying, but almost did for myself._

"Whenever you are ready, give it all you've got, and good luck." Said the giant guard

_I have to stay focused. I can't let my determination waver in this fight. The guard then raised his axe again, but he only created an arena for us to use. So it's just a fight between me and him, eh?_

"You three need some work on your manners. What are you, country bumpkins or something? We're civilized in this city. Here are the rules. Rule number one, always wash your hands before you sit down to eat. Rule number two; don't eat food that's fallen on the floor. Rule three; battles in the city are always fought one on one. The kid with the matching hair and eyes and the other kid with the spiky orange hair were the first to approach and challenge me, but the girl managed to stand her ground against my first attack, so she shall be the first to challenge me, so she shall be my first opponent, then I'll come back to deal with you two. This won't take long, I promise." Said the gate guard

_Well, there goes the idea of back-up_

"What was that? Don't tell me you two are plotting schemes over there." Said the gate guard

_Did he hear something I didn't?_

"Orihime! Chad! Is Ichigo okay over there?" I asked

"Karen! Yes he's fine!" exclaimed Orihime

"No I'm not! Let me have a crack at him instead! You're going to lose to him, I'm sure!" exclaimed Ichigo

"Thanks for the vote of confidence Ichigo." I said sarcastically

"Dully noted." Said Ichigo

"Orihime, Chad, listen to me; make sure you keep him on his leash. Wait for me on the other side. I promise, I'll be okay handing this guy." I said

"I refuse to let you do that." Said Uryu

"Before you say something about teamwork, this guard has made it clear this is a one-on-one battle." I said

"Can you defeat him?" asked Sado

"I'd say… probably." I said

"Probably?! What's wrong with you?! Don't you understand this is a life and death situation we're in here?!" exclaimed Uryu

_I sighed as I closed my eyes, and found Uryu's spirit energy._

"Bakudo number 1. Sai!" I exclaimed

_I then heard Uryu fall to the ground, and cursing me along with it._

"I'm not just fighting with a sword here Uryu. Here's a little something interesting. When Ichigo was busy training with Hat-and-Clogs, I was training with Tessai on the art of Kido. I managed to get up to level 63 with both Bakudo and Hado. Release!" I exclaimed

_And I could tell that Uryu was grateful to be back on his feet._

"It took me three days to get there, and after that, I began training with hat-and-clogs to improve my sword skills, and to unlock the secrets of my zanpaku-to. In those long hours of my training, I built up more strength and stamina, and focused on enhancing the abilities I already had as a Soul Reaper." I said as I unsheathed my zanpaku-to

"You done making speeches yet?" asked the guard

"I never liked making speeches, but then again, while I was distracted, you could've attacked me at any time." I said

_He raised an eyebrow as a vein appeared on his forehead._

"So, you are a country bumpkin after all. Didn't your folks teach you any manners? If someone is polite enough to wait for you, you should always say 'thank you'!" exclaimed the guard

"Summon forth the light! Tsuki no Sakuramori!" I exclaimed

_I used the first form to block the guard's attack, much to his surprise._

"Who are you matching girl?" asked the guard

"I'm no expert, but is it also bad manners to attack before your opponent is ready?" I asked

_He then looked really mad, until he started laughing._

"You're gutsy, I'll give you that matching girl. I can't remember the last time someone was able to stop the thrust of my axe. This is going to be fun. For once I'll be able to give it everything I have. Of all the intruders who have tried to get past this gate, there have only been two who have come along before you who were powerful enough to stop my first thrust, but that is where the story ends because neither they, nor you could ever hope to fend off my second thrust!" exclaimed the guard

_I quickly got under my fan, and held it up against his axe, but man, this was putting a strain on my arms._

"Are you still standing? I guess I get to keep trying my attacks on you then. See how you like this. Jidan Ten-Strike Festival! One! Two! Three! Four! Six! Seven! Uh, seven! Eight! Twelve! Nine! Six! Wait, I've never had to count this high before, but I must be at ten by now, so it's time to finish this!" exclaimed the guard

_He sliced off the top of the rocks, and it was an epic fail on his end._

"Got her. I think." Said the guard

_Much to his surprise, I was still standing, but he was more surprised with the large sword I was holding in my hand. I can only imagine the other's reactions when they saw it_

"Tsugi no suteji, Kokugatsu." I announced after I revealed my black sword

"That sword… hey! You took Zangetsu!" exclaimed Ichigo

"Wrong! My zanpaku-to has multiple stages. The first stage was like a new moon with the slapping fan. This one represents a waxing moon. This is Kokugatsu." I said

"What?! That's impossible! How can you still be standing after that attack matching girl?!" exclaimed the guard

"Are you finished gatekeeper, because frankly, I'm just getting started." I said

"I'm not done. I'm not done! I just have to bring out some more weaponry." Said the guard

"He's got another axe!" exclaimed Uryu

_His face then turned red before the armor on his left arm broke off._

"My ultimate attack. See if you can withstand the Jidan Bonzai Strike Festival!" exclaimed the guard

_He then started his attack on me with his axes._

"Sorry bud, but you're gonna hate me for this." I said

_Left with no other choice, I destroyed his axes. He flew into the gate with only the stubs of his axes left._

"Wh-what was that?" asked the guard

_I bet he's worried right now, but I was more shocked when he got up._

"Whoa, you almost got me that time. I can't believe I slipped and fell on my behind. It's been a long time since that happened. Uh, what's that weird look on your face for? I bet you think you're the one who sent me flying backwards, don't you? You should really know better than that, but it's typical of a country bumpkin like you to believe that a gatekeeper like me could be blown away so easily. All I have to do is make one more swing with my mighty axe and…" started the guard

_He took a look at his axes, and started shaking._

"Well? Are ya gonna say somethin' or just stand there?" I asked

"My axes… my axes ruined! Why? Why did you have to do it? Why did you have to? Why did you have to destroy my beautiful babies?! Why?" The guard asked while crying

_Okay, I feel like a terrible person now._

"I'm really sorry about your axes and all, but to be honest, I couldn't just let you keep swinging them at me. Though, with all honesty, I could've just destroyed one of them so you'd still have one. My fault, entirely." I said while sweat-dropping

"No, you're not bad. Even though you're my enemy, you care. Instead of thinking of only your desire to get through the gate, you're actually concerned for your opponent and his axes. What a good person you are matching girl. What a generous heart you have." The guard said while grabbing my shoulders

"Well, it's only natural to wanna consul someone who cries so much even if they are really, uh… big." I said

"I know. I'm acting like a big baby. All that crying and moaning over a couple of old axes. I'm nothing but an embarrassment as a man. I'm a total loser." Said the guard

"Huh?" I wondered

"A total loser! You beat me not only as a warrior and gatekeeper, you have defeated me as a man as well. It had been 300 years since I became the keeper of the Hakudo gate. In all those years, never have I lost a challenge, or allowed anyone to pass this way! I thought the day would never come, but you are the first man to defeat me, therefore, I, Jidanbo, hereby grant you passage through the Hakudo gate." Said Jidanbo

"Thank you, Gatekeeper Jidanbo." I said

"And not just you, your friends may pass through as well." Said Jidanbo

"You're allowing all of us to pass?" asked Uryu

"That's right. I was decisively defeated in battle by your leader, as a result, I have no right to stop anyone in your group." Said Jidanbo

"What?! Whoever said anything about Karen being our leader?! Absolutely not!" Uryu and Ichigo exclaimed in unison

"It's not a big deal boys, so why get so upset?" I asked while sweat-dropping

"So your name is Karen, huh, matching girl?" asked Jidanbo

"That's right. I'm Karen Tsukimori." I said

"Tsukimori, eh? It's been a long time since I heard that name. Still, a cute name for a girl who seems to take herself so seriously, don't you think?" asked Jidanbo

"Hey! My name is not cute! My name means 'pure', got it?! How is 'pure' cute?!" I exclaimed

"Yeah, whatever. You take care now. I don't know why you're so determined to pass through this gate, but those you will meet on the other side are all very strong." Said Jidanbo

"Thank you for the advice." I said

"You're very welcome. As long as you think you know what you're getting into. Now stand back, and I'll open the gate for you. This is not going to be easy. It's been closed for a long time." Said Jidanbo

_We were all shocked at his tremendous strength, big time._

"Amazing." Said Ichigo

"I never thought anyone could lift something so heavy." Commented Orihime

_I then noticed that Jidanbo seemed frozen in shock._

"Jidanbo, what is it? Is there something wrong?" I asked

_I then saw someone with a snake-like face, not literally, but his face did make me think of a snake, and with him was… Shizuku?!_

"That's… Shizuku. But who's with him?" I asked

"That is Shizuku Shiba's captain. The captain of Squad 3. Gin Ichimaru." Said Jidanbo

"Shizuku… Shiba?" I wondered

_This doesn't make sense. When he was in the human world, every time he saw Ichigo's last name, he looked freaked out, like there was some connection, and he seemed to recognize Ichigo's dad. What could this mean? Did the facts I put together be completely and totally wrong?_

_**Done and done! Total surprise on Karen's end, eh? For those who are following the manga of Bleach, you might get some ideas. If not, well, you're gonna have to wait. Please review and until next time, I'm sakuraphoenix, saying I heart you, signing off for now. Kan dao ni!**_


	20. A Broken Heart

Chapter 20: A Broken Heart

_**Hey everyone! It's me, sakuraphoenix, and I'm back with a new chapter! Well, it's safe to say that my vacation in China is officially over. Now, before I start this chapter, I have a review from an anonymous reviewer that I need to address. And to the person who did review, to be honest, I kinda didn't catch what you caught. Don't worry; you'll see plenty of her personality in this chapter. Anyways, now that that's over with, disclaimer time.**_

_**Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach. I also do not own Shizuku. He belongs to my good friend Lyokowarrior1994**_

_**Enjoy!**_

_I was more than shocked to see Shizuku alive, but a wave of conflicting emotions hit me like a bullet train. I was relieved and happy to see him alive, but when I saw that stern and hardened face, a feeling of worry and loneliness washed over me. What is going on here?_

"Okay now, who the hell's this?" asked Ichigo

"Captain of Squad Three, Gin Ichimaru." Said Yoruichi

"Ah. Not good." Said Gin

_And with a fast speed, Jidanbo was cut by Gin's zanpaku-to_

"Jidanbo! Are you alright?!" I exclaimed

"Unacceptable. Being a guardian of the gate doesn't mean you're supposed to open the gate." Said Gin

"I defended the gate and lost. Once I lost, I had to open the gate. There was nothing else I could do." Said Jidanbo

"What you're saying makes no sense. A gatekeeper who loses isn't supposed to open the gate. When a gatekeeper loses, it means death." Said Gin

_Ichigo rushed in to stop Gin and protect Jidanbo! That idiot! Just as I stepped foot into the Sereitei, Shizuku stepped in front of me._

"Shizuku." I said

"Karen. Why did you come here?" asked Shizuku

"I came here to find you, to see if you were okay!" I exclaimed

"Well, now you have, so you can leave." Shizuku said as he turned his back to me

"That's it?! No 'hello' or 'how are you' or 'I've been worried about you'? Why don't you understand that I've been worried sick about you Shizuku? I was worried that you were slated for execution or something, just because you gave me Soul Reaper powers, and this is how you treat me after all this time?!" I exclaimed

"Yes." Said Shizuku

"I get it now. You Soul Reapers think you're so superior than everyone else. I thought I could come here to admit my true feelings to you, but I guess I was wrong. This is who you really are Shizuku Shiba, a cold, heartless person who knows nothing about other people's feelings. San no suteji, Tsuki no Mai." I said

_My giant sword turned into two golden fans, and Shizuku was beginning to release his zanpaku-to._

"Blaze, Fenikkusu no Kibo!" Shizuku exclaimed as he released his zanpaku-to

_His zanpaku-to was a Chinese Jian, but the blade was surrounded by a fiery aura, and every time he tried to send a fireball at me, I'd swat it away with my fans._

"So you mean to tell me that everything we did back in the human world was nothing but a big fat charade?!" I exclaimed as I swatted another fireball away

"I was only there for a mission, and now that it's been taken care of, I'm here to stay in the Soul Society, despite what my heart has grown accustomed to." Said Shizuku

"You once told me that your heart grew attached to something in the human world. Shizuku, answer this. Was I… what your heart grew attached to?" I asked

"Yes, it was, but when I came back, I realized here, the feelings I had for you was nothing but an illusion." Said Shizuku

_I was shocked to hear those words. Shizuku… why don't you understand my heart? Why did you have to smash it into a million tiny pieces?_

"Now, time to finish you. Hono Doragon!" Shizuku exclaimed as he summoned a fiery dragon

_I was shot out of the Sereitei the same time as Ichigo, except I had a huge burn on my chest, which, well… revealed my… oh whatever! When I finally realized it, I wrapped two arms around my upper body so the boys wouldn't see._

"No! The gate!" exclaimed Yoruichi

"Bye-bye now." Gin said while waving at us before the gate closed

_Even though I knew that I was going to live, despite my wounds, I had a wound that no medical treatment could heal… a broken heart. A single tear shed itself as I looked at the gate. Did… did I just really get rejected?_

"Ichigo! Karen! Are you two alright?!" exclaimed Orihime

"What happened?" asked Uryu

"Grr… look at the gate! That bastard!" exclaimed Ichigo

"Well, it seems that you're alright, and Karen, are you going to stand there all day revealing your, well, private parts to everyone?" asked Yoruichi

_I was confused, until I saw that in my sadness and confusion, my whole upper body was exposed! I covered my, well, as Yoruichi would say 'private parts' so everyone else wouldn't see._

"Keep your eyes to yourself you pervert!" I exclaimed

"Karen! What a terrible burn." Orihime said while looking horrified

"Yeah, with the right medical treatment, I'll be okay, but it does sting a lot." I said

"I'm sorry guys. It's all my fault that the gate closed." Said Ichigo

"It's not your fault. I should've tried harder." I said with a sad look on my face

_Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Ichigo looking shocked. Did I say something wrong?_

"No you two. Don't start blaming yourselves. Your opponent was Gin Ichimaru. It couldn't be helped. You two should just be glad you are not hurt, well, I should say more hurt than you already were Karen." Said Yoruichi

_Ichigo began pulling up his zanpaku-to._

"Hey, Uryu, do you think you could let me borrow that other cape of yours? I kinda don't want to be exposed like this all day." I admitted sheepishly

_Uryu tossed me his cape, the one that was torn in the back, and I immediately put it on. I didn't care how ridiculous it looked as long as it can cover the front of my chest. I'm just glad my breasts are well, normal sized, unlike Orihime's._

"Would you do me a favor? Go over there and help Karen and Jidanbo a few if you can." Ichigo asked Orihime

_I started hearing voices, and turned around to see the residents of the Rukon district appear from their hiding spots._

"Well, lookie what we've got here." Said Ichigo

"They must've been hiding until now." Said Uryu

"But why?" asked Orihime

"Well, obviously, we were frightening to them. Souls who come to the Soul Society illegally, without a Soul Reaper escort, are called Ryoga, and are said to be the root cause of all kinds of trouble." Said Yoruichi

"I guess they thought that we were their enemies, and probably still do." I said

_Everyone got into a fighting stance, save for me. I was in too much of a wreck right now to do anything right._

"Please stop. Allow me to introduce myself." An elderly man said

_That got our surprise and attention._

"I am the elder of this area, which is known as the Rukon District. All of us witnessed the events occurred just now, and we would all like to welcome you as Jidanbo's true saviors. This place is full of Soul Reapers that are rotten and discouraged. But Jidanbo, a native of Rukon District, is not one of them. He's always been so kind to us." Said the elder

"We all witnessed how you fought against Gin Ichimaru and Shizuku Shiba in order to save Jidanbo. You must surely be a good person." A male citizen said while looking at my burn

"I don't know about that." I said while looking at the gate

"We can see that, but still, what a terrible wound you two have." Said the same man

"Right! There's no need to worry. I should be able to heal Jidanbo's wounds." Said Orihime

"Huh?! You're kidding me. You really can heal that wound?" asked Ichigo

"Sure! I can even heal Karen's burn! Just leave it to me! Shun'o. Ayame." Said Orihime

_Two fairies then appeared from Orihime's hair pins! Whoa, so she can do this?_

"Hi. Do you need some help?" asked the blonde fairy

"Hello!" exclaimed the fairy wearing pink

"Could you lend me your powers?" asked Orihime

"Of course we will. As your power, we are here, awaiting your command. All you have to do is recite the spirit chant, remember?" asked the blonde fairy

"Mm-hmm. Karen, could you stand near Jidanbo's wound?" asked Orihime

"Uh, right here?" I asked

"Perfect! Alright, here we go. Soten Kisshun! I reject!" exclaimed Orihime

_The two fairies surrounded Jidanbo's wound, and me, and I felt my burn beginning to heal, along with my clothing being reformed, albeit slowly._

"It's truly amazing. So when exactly did you get that power?" asked Ichigo

"Excuse me!" exclaimed a young male voice

"Please let us through!" exclaimed a young female voice

"Move it!" exclaimed the same boy

_A boy with brown hair and grey eyes while a girl with purple hair and red eyes moved through the crowd. I could've sworn I seen the girl somewhere before, but where?_

"Hey! Over here! It's me! Yuichi! Don't you remember?" asked Yuichi

"And it's me! Setsuna!" exclaimed Setsuna

"Yuichi Shibata? Setsuna Aono?" asked Sado

"Right! Yuichi and Setsuna, the cockatiels! You remember now, right?" asked Setsuna

"So it's her." I said dumbfounded

"It's really you two." Said Sado

_Some of the villagers bandaged up my burn, now that it's been reduced to a sunburn, and my clothing was in one piece again. I found the highest place in the Rukon District, but all I could see were some of the buildings in the Rukon District and the gate. You really know how to hurt a person, you know that Shizuku? I made you that necklace because I couldn't find the courage to say 'I love you' when you were right next to me. I suck at admitting my feelings, so I thought if I made that for you, you'd understand how I feel about you. I guess I was wrong. You really don't care about me, and you never did. I didn't know how long I was up there, but the sun was beginning to set, so I headed back to the elder's place to see if he knew something about Jidanbo's condition._

"A penny for your thoughts?" asked Uryu

"Oh, hey Uryu." I said

"What's wrong with you today? You've been quiet ever since that fight with Shizuku. What's wrong with you?" asked Uryu

"Look, can we talk about this later?" I asked with my hair shading my eyes

"Later?! Listen, I want to know what happened now! What are you not telling us?!" Uryu exclaimed as he grabbed my arm

"Uryu, please, let me go." I said as I struggled against his grip

"No way! Karen, if you don't tell me what's wrong then…" started Uryu

_He forced me to look him in the eye, and he saw what I knew, my eyes were bloodshot, from crying so hard._

"Were you… crying?" asked Uryu

"Yeah, go ahead and laugh, that Karen Tsukimori was crying. Go ahead and laugh. I don't care anymore." I said

"Karen, I'm not laughing. You loved Shizuku, didn't you?" asked Uryu

"What makes you think that?" I asked as I was about to start crying again

"Listen, I don't know what feelings you had for Shizuku, but whatever he said in there to make you cry, he's gonna get a taste of my arrows!" Uryu exclaimed with a look of determination on his face

_He then took another step and slipped on a rock and fell, and had this hilarious face as he fell into a mud puddle. I couldn't help but laugh as I saw that._

"You're… laughing." Said Uryu

"Sorry, I couldn't help it. And uh, Uryu?" I asked

"Hmm?" asked Uryu

"Thanks for, you know, the pep talk. I think I needed it more than anything." I said

"Well, I wasn't trying to cheer you up and all, I mean, how am I supposed to defeat you if you aren't on your top form?" asked Uryu

"Oh, whatever." I said playfully

"Hey! Don't 'whatever' me!" exclaimed Uryu

"You can be kind and sweet when you wanna be Uryu. Thanks for trying to cheer me up." I said while smiling

"Hey, uh, I don't want to sound like I'm hitting on you or something, but you should smile more often. It makes you look cuter." Said Uryu

"Really?" I asked

"Yeah, but that's just me." Uryu said while walking past me

_Uryu, I guess under that hard exterior, you really care about others. You are so much like Ichigo._

_Later…_

"Are you serious?! You really want us to give up trying to get past the gate?" asked Ichigo

"No, I don't mean give up completely. Once the gate has been opened, it's only logical that the security on the other side becomes that much tighter, which means that continuing with the same strategy is not necessarily the best approach." Said Yoruichi

"I have to agree with you on that." Said Uryu

"So then what about the other gates?" asked Chad

"If I had to guess, it takes time to get from one gate to the next, time we don't have. So what can we do?" I asked

"Isn't it obvious? If we cannot use the gate, then naturally, we must enter another way. Elder, do you know the whereabouts of Kukaku Shiba?" asked Yoruichi

"What?! You can't be serious!

"Shiba? That last name… Yoruichi, Shizuku's from that same family, yeah? I doubt that they'll help us." I said

"Kukaku's different Karen, I guarantee. Elder, as you may know, she is someone who likes to change their residence. I haven't been able to find out where she currently lives." Said Yoruichi

"Kukaku Shiba. Are you sure? Don't tell me you're planning on going through the wall like that!" The elder exclaimed while his hands turned into fists

"Uh, like what?" asked Orihime

_I then heard what sounded like horses, or something that had four legs and was fast._

"Uh, what's that noise?" asked Ichigo

"Sounds like a stampede." Said Orihime

_Then some guy burst through the door, cannonball style! Orihime screamed while hiding behind me._

"What's happening?!" exclaimed Uryu

"Anyone know who this guy is?" asked Ichigo

"Forget him, check what he was riding! A boar!" I exclaimed as I saw a female boar enter the house

_At least, I think it's female. It's wearing a flippin' red bow!_

"Huh?! Are you kidding?! What in the? What's a boar doing here?" Ichigo asked out loud

"Well, well, well. What'd ya know? Rumbling in by alpine. There's gotta be a better way to travel. Hey, it's been a long time old man." Said the guy who just busted in

"Ganju, no! What are you doing here? I think you should go home." Said the elder

"What gives? Look, I know it's been a while, but is that any way to greet an old friend? I mean, what are your guests here going to think? Huh?" Ganju wondered as he looked at me and Ichigo

_I did not like the way he was looking at us the way he was._

"What do we have here? Would someone explain to me why there are stinkin' Soul Reapers here?" asked Ganju

"What did you just call us?" I asked with a tick mark on my head

"What's the matter? Your ears not working? What I said was 'would someone explain to me why there are stinkin' Soul Reapers here'?" Ganju repeated

"Huh?" Ichigo and I wondered out loud

"Huh? Well, say something, you sniveling dandelions." Ganju said while pinching Ichigo's face

_Ichigo punched Ganju across the face. Usually, that's my job. In any case, he sent him flying near the door!_

"Hey! Just what are you trying to do?! Are you picking a fight with me?!" exclaimed Ganju

"You started it pig straddler! You walked in and picked on us for no reason! What kind of a moron are you?!" exclaimed Ichigo

"Moron?!" exclaimed Ganju

_Honestly, I couldn't care less about their argument._

"Hey, Karen, help me out here!" exclaimed Ichigo

"Why don't you boys take it outside, and leave us out of it?" I asked while sipping tea

"Are you serious?!" exclaimed Ichigo

"For once, I agree with Ichigo! This is no time to sit there drinking tea! We need to figure out who the guy is!" exclaimed Uryu

"Are you kidding me? You really don't know who I am?" asked Ganju

"No, I don't." said Uryu

"Me neither." Said Orihime

"No." said Sado

"I don't wanna know." Said Ichigo

"Me neither." I said

"Heh, then that settles it. Let me introduce myself. My given name is Ganju, the self-proclaimed deep red bullet of West Rukon, and self-proclaimed but universally acknowledged boss man of West Rukon, and finally, the self-proclaimed number one Soul Reaper hater of West Rukon!" exclaimed Ganju

"Self-proclaimed?!" Orihime, Yoruichi, Sado, Uryu, and I exclaimed in unison

"Ha! You forgot to add 'self-proclaimed fool'." Said Ichigo

"Say what?" asked Ganju

"You heard me." Said Ichigo

_A furious Ganju tackled Ichigo out of the elder's home._

"Ichigo!" exclaimed Uryu

"No, Ichigo!" exclaimed Orihime

"Hold it right there! We won't let you get in the boss man's way." Said the guy wearing a pink kimono

"But look, if you really wanna fight someone…" started the bald guy

"We will be happy to oblige you." Said the guy with an afro

_These are Ganju's henchmen, no doubt._

"Ganju's henchmen." Said Uryu

"What do we do now?" asked Orihime

"For once, I have no idea. Then again, I rarely have ideas." I said

"See that?" asked Sado

_What the hell?!_

"They're all riding on boars." All four of us said in unison

"You and your friend better get out of here while you still can! Now listen, as long as I'm alive, no Soul Reaper will ever be allowed to step one stinkin' foot inside West Rukon!" exclaimed Ganju

_Oh yeah? Well, Ichigo's 'stinkin' foot' as he calls it, just kicked him in the face. That's gonna leave a mark._

"Shut up. Give it a rest, why don't 'cha? Look, if you wanna fight, I'll fight ya." Said Ichigo

"Why you! You punched my ruggedly handsome face, not once but twice!" exclaimed Ganju

"Ruggedly handsome? This guy is crazy. Besides, the second time it was in Ichigo's category." I said

"Ichigo's category?" wondered Uryu

"Well, Ichigo and I always got into these fights because of our hair, but in my case, my hair and eyes, but I was always better with upper body strength than he was, so we made an agreement that whenever we had to team up, he'd do the kicking, and I'd be doing the punching." I said

"Oh." Said Uryu

"You're right about that Karen! The second time around was a kick." Said Ichigo

"That's enough fighting Ichigo. You should not be using up your strength in a meaningless brawl." Said Yoruichi

"Yeah, I'd say. That's like telling a monkey to stop eating bananas because it's gonna have better food later. Once Ichigo's mind is set on a fight, there's no stopping him." I said

"Besides, he started the fight, so if you want this to stop, then tell him." Said Ichigo

_That moron! He really can't let this thing go, can he?_

"Way I see things, you, me, and eventually that other Soul Reaper friend of yours are destined to fight. We don't have a choice in the matter." Ganju said before unsheathing a broken sword

"Stop this fighting Ganju! Can't you see that this man is a good Soul Reaper?" asked the elder

"That's enough! Look, Soul Reapers are Soul Reapers. To me, there is no good or bad." Said Ganju

"You're wrong Ganju." Said the elder

"Now get ready!" Ganju exclaimed before rushing to fight Ichigo

"Ichigo! Use this!" I exclaimed as I tossed him Zangetsu

"I got it! Thanks Karen!" exclaimed Ichigo

_The cloth around Zangetsu's blade unwrapped itself as Ichigo used the blade with a flourish._

"Very impressive! I was wonderin' when you'd use your zanpaku-to! However, don't think that you can win this, just because you wield a bigger weapon." Said Ganju

_He drew a circle in the dirt, and suddenly, the tip of Ichigo's zanpaku-to became engulfed in sand!_

"Sink!" exclaimed Ganju

"Wha? The ground is gone!" exclaimed Ichigo

"It's like quicksand!" exclaimed Uryu

"Just hang in there Ichigo!" exclaimed Orihime

"Listen, if you can't use your sword, use what you can! It's worked before, who says it can't work now?!" I exclaimed

_Ganju tried to kick Ichigo as he tried to pull his sword out of the ground, but failed miserably._

"Using weird tricks won't help you win!" exclaimed Ichigo

_Ganju went on the attack, but Ichigo stopped his attack by blocking his arm with his own arm, before punching Ganju in the face._

"All I can say is if that didn't drop you, then you are one tough warrior." Said Ichigo

_The two engaged in hand-to-hand combat for a while, until I noticed that they were both planning something big, and I didn't like it one bit._

"What's the matter? It's not over yet." Said Ichigo

_The guy then charged in for an attack, and then an alarm clock, which was on the guy who wore the pink kimono's back started ringing, causing Ganju to fall face first into the dirt._

"What time is it now?!" exclaimed Ganju

"It's nine already boss man! This is gonna be bad!" exclaimed the guy in the pink kimono

"What? Nine o'clock? Come on! We gotta go Bonnie!" Ganju exclaimed before whistling

_I was wondering who Bonnie was, until I saw the female boar from earlier begin to jump over Ichigo! This is gonna end badly._

_**How bad will it end? Well, I guess you're gonna have to find out, so until next time, please review. I'm sakuraphoenix, saying I heart you, signing off from America. Kan dao ni!**_


	21. Before the 14th Day

Chapter 21: Before the 14th Day

_**Hey everyone! It's me, sakuraphoenix, and I am back! I know, I have updating issues, but I was busy with another story, which I had a bad case of writers block for, but that's a story for another time. Anyways, disclaimer time.  
>Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach. I also do not own Shizuku. He belongs to my friend Lyokowarrior1994<strong>_

_**Enjoy!**_

_The alarm clock that was on the guy who wore the pink kimono's back started ringing, causing Ganju to fall face first into the dirt._

"What time is it now?!" exclaimed Ganju

"It's nine already boss man! This is gonna be bad!" exclaimed the guy in the pink kimono

"What? Nine o'clock? Come on! We gotta go Bonnie!" Ganju exclaimed before whistling

_I was wondering who Bonnie was, until I saw the female boar from earlier begin to jump over Ichigo! This is gonna end badly. Okay, I spoke too soon, the boar jumped over his head, and got a few of his hairs before she knocked Ganju on the ground. That was one hell of a skid._

"Ha. That's the way Bonnie. I can't play with you right now, though. Come on and give me a ride outta here." Ganju said while giving a thumbs up

_Bonnie then seemed to have some kind of glint in her eyes as she tackled Ganju again, sending him flying into the air._

"What?! Hey! Come back here!" Ichigo exclaimed as he ran after Bonnie as Ganju landed on her

"Oh, I'm not running away! Just wait! I'll be back here again tomorrow, and we'll settle this thing once and for all! You just wait for me dandelion head, and try not to turn into fluff and blow away! After I'm done with you, curly head's next! Let's go everyone!" exclaimed Ganju

_Oh boy, Ichigo's steamed. Can't blame him though. Curly head? Really? My hair's not curly!_

"You stupid coward! How dare you…" started Ichigo

_And he almost got run over by Ganju's gang of supporters and their boars. As much as I wanted to laugh there and then, it had to wait._

"That was weird." Said Orihime

"If you ask me, that was a disaster." Uryu said after he adjusted his glasses and put a hand on Ichigo's shoulder

"I'm gonna kill that guy as soon as I find out WHO HE IS!" Ichigo exclaimed to the air

_Yeah, after you get some sleep Kurosaki. I'm not gonna waste my time waiting for Ganju to show up when I have more important things to worry about, starting with Jidanbo's wound. Orihime, Uryu, Chad, and I checked up on him the following morning, and he seemed to be back to normal. My burns seemed to have gone away as well. Man, Orihime's healing ability is amazing._

"It looks like Jidanbo's wound has closed up. I hope he'll be okay when he comes to again." Said Orihime

_But all Jidanbo was doing at the moment was snoring away like he was having a good dream or something._

"Big bodied men like him have plenty of stamina and strength. I'm sure he'll be fine before long." Said Sado

"Yeah, you're right. It would take a lot to permanently harm someone as big and powerful as Jidanbo." Said Orihime

"Speak for yourself. My right arm is still sore from blocking those axes of his then breaking them. Good thing I didn't bring my violin with me to the Soul Society. That would've caused me some big problems." I said as I began rubbing my right arm

"Will you be okay?" Orihime asked in concern

"It's just the lactic acid that's affecting my muscles. I'll be fine. Don't worry about it. In about a day or two, my arm will be back to normal." I said

"But the only question now, is who exactly is this Kukaku Shiba we're supposed to be looking for? As usual, Yoruichi left out a lot of the details." Said Uryu

"It would have to be someone Yoruichi thinks can help us get into the Sereitei without going through the gates." Said Orihime

"Which would probably mean someone with great skill." Said Uryu

"Wow! I wonder if that means it's a really smart pureblood cat with pedigreed papers?! I hope so! Or an American short-haired type cat. Or even a Dalmatian!" exclaimed Orihime

"News flash, a Dalmatian is a dog. Besides, just because it's someone Yoruichi knows, doesn't automatically mean it's a cat." I said

"Are you sure?" asked Orihime

"Judging from the name Kukaku, I'd say that we're going to be dealing with a well-built man. Probably a powerful samurai warrior." Said Uryu

"No, I think he'll be more of a hermit-type master." Said Sado

"Or you both could be wrong, and Kukaku's a girl." I said with my arms crossed

"Yeah right." Said Uryu

"Why don't we have a bet then? If I'm right, then you'll have to buy me lunch for a whole week when we get back, but if I'm wrong, I'll cook a gourmet lunch for you for a whole week, regardless of if we're in school or not." I said

"A gourmet lunch?" asked Uryu

"I can cook you know. I usually cook my lunch when I'm not in the mood for food from the school cafeteria." I said

"I've tasted her cooking before. She rarely makes a bet with that end of the bargain." Said Sado

"In that case, you have a bet." Uryu said as he shook my hand

_We didn't even notice that Orihime was drawing in the sand, and when she finished, well… it's something, I admit. She drew what seemed to be an old lady that looked like a hermit and a samurai master with cat ears and a tail._

"Ta-da! A female hermit-type samurai warrior master with ears and tail of a cat." Said Orihime

"If he or she looks anything like that, we're in trouble." Said Sado

"Aw. How about I draw her with Dalmatian spots instead?" asked Orihime

"Not bad Orihime, except you forgot to give her a cape." Said Uryu

"*groan* I always forget something!" exclaimed Orihime

"What's the hold-up with Ichigo anyway?" asked Uryu

"He's inside. Should I call him?" asked Orihime

"That's okay. I'll go get him." Said Uryu

"Me too. I get the feeling this isn't going to be pretty." I said as I followed Uryu

_And I was right. Ichigo was as stubborn as they get! He wanted to stay and fight Ganju later!_

"Huh?! What do you mean 'not going'?!" Uryu and I exclaimed in unison

"That's what I said! You four can just go on ahead without me. I'm staying to finish my battle with that pin head from yesterday!" exclaimed Ichigo

"Ichigo, do you have rocks for brains or what?! That's not an option strawberry! I don't care if I have to drag you out by the pants, you're going and that's that!" I exclaimed as Uryu and I began pulling on Ichigo's pants

"If I don't show up, he'll think I'm a chicken!" exclaimed Ichigo

"I don't give a damn as to what that pig riding idiot thinks!" I exclaimed as Uryu and I kept pulling

"Hey. What's up? Aren't you three ready to go yet?" Orihime asked as she appeared behind us

"Help us out here Orihime! This idiot is as stubborn as they come!" I exclaimed as Uryu and I kept pulling

"Leave me alone! I'll beat that boar-riding punk quick and catch up to you guys before you know…" Ichigo started before Yoruichi scratched him

_And judging by the way he screamed into the air, man was it painful!_

"What's wrong with you? Have you forgotten why we came here in the first place?! Lives are at stake. Rukia's life in particular is in your hands! Surely you haven't forgotten about that! You don't have time to waste on foolish grudge matches with strangers! Are you ready for the task at hand?" asked Yoruichi

_When Ichigo was silent, we took it as the hint to go. I was walking ahead with Yoruichi, with the map in my hands, when Uryu suddenly pulled up next to me._

"So tell me something." Said Uryu

"I thought you said yesterday that you weren't going to hit on me." I said

"I'm not. I just want to ask you something. It's about yesterday with… with you-know-who. That comment he said about Soul Reapers, why didn't it bother you?" asked Uryu

"Actually, it did. The thing is, like Ichigo, I have a bit of a short temper at times, but unlike him, I've learned how to keep it mostly under control. What Ganju said yesterday, it really struck a nerve. I didn't come this far to get insulted after all. I came here to find Shizuku, only for him to… to…" I struggled to say

"For him to break your heart? You fell in love with him, didn't you?" asked Uryu

"Yeah, I did, but the truth is, I've always sucked at admitting my feelings to others, so that necklace you helped me with… it was a gift for him. It was my way of saying 'I like you, a lot' but… I guess he never got the message." I said sadly

"Guys like that are just jerks if you ask me. If someone fell in love with me, and I wasn't in love with that person, I would politely reject them instead of breaking their heart. Even though you're a Soul Reaper Karen, if there's one thing I can't stand to see because of how I was raised, it's someone in distress." Said Uryu

"Thanks Uryu. I still think you can be sweet when you want to be." I said

"I don't care what you think!" Uryu exclaimed while walking ahead of me

_I only gave a small laugh as I saw Uryu's embarrassed face. Still, the only thing I saw all the way out here was some house._

"Looks to me like we're headed out towards the empty countryside. Are you sure this is the right way Uryu?! Hey! I'm talking to you!" exclaimed Ichigo

"Just be quiet! I'm following the elder's map, and according to this, we're almost there now! If you don't like the way Karen and I are guiding us, why don't you take over great leader?" Uryu asked sarcastically

"Don't get your panties in a watt. I was just wondering." Said Ichigo

"Kukaku Shiba is probably the type of master who likes to keep his identity secret by hiding away out in the wilderness." Said Orihime

"That would make sense, but it's not the case here. Living in these types of surroundings is just Kukaku's personal preference. The fact is, Kukaku moves frequently, but the houses themselves always look much the same. I guarantee you'll know it's the house when you see it." Said Yoruichi

"What's that supposed to mean?" asked Ichigo

"You'll see soon enough. Just wait." Said Yoruichi

_What exactly does he mean by that is the right question. It's not like there's gonna be a big banner that says 'Kukaku Shiba's home' outside the house._

"Ah. It looks like we've arrived." Said Yoruichi

_Never mind. There is a huge banner outside her house! And two fist-like statues are holding it up!_

"Wha?" asked Ichigo

"No way!" exclaimed Uryu

"You can't be bloody serious!" I exclaimed in a fake British accent

"Oh. It's fantastic." Said Orihime

"Hmm?" wondered Sado

_I have a terrible feeling now that this is going to be a long day._

"Like I said, you know when you see it." Said Yoruichi

"What kind of person would wanna live in a house like that?!" Ichigo exclaimed with a horrified look on his face

"I don't know, but whoever he is, he sure doesn't care about keeping his identity a secret!" Uryu exclaimed with a horrified look on his face

"Yeah, and with a house like that, it's no wonder Kukaku doesn't live in town anymore!" I exclaimed with a horrified look on my face

"I bet he's not allowed to live in town anymore!" Ichigo exclaimed with his face stuck in horror mode

"Hmph. So this time the banner's held up by giant human arms. It's actually quite clever, don't you think?" asked Yoruichi

"That is one word for it, I guess." Uryu said with a dead-panned look on his face

"But… not the word I was thinking of." I said while dead-panned

"Come on, let's go." Said Yoruichi

"Yeah!" exclaimed Orihime

_Getting out of my shock, I was left with no choice but to follow._

"What's the matter with you two? Hurry up." Said Yoruichi

"Alright." Uryu and Ichigo said both in defeat and in unison

_Ichigo then started to walk ahead with an annoyed look written out on his face._

"Oh, and Uryu, you better not tell anyone I went into this place or you'll pay for it. Same goes for you Karen." Ichigo said while glaring back at me and Uryu

"Don't worry about that." Said Uryu

_I made a silent agreement, but I noticed the chimney in the distance. Not only that, but it was sealed shut. Unless Kukaku doesn't use firewood, I don't get why he or she would need such a huge chimney for a small house._

"Halt, strangers!" Two voices called out at once

_Immediately, my hand went for my zanpaku-to._

"Who dares trespass here?!" exclaimed the man on the left fist

"Foreigners from the looks of them, and two of them are Soul Reapers!" exclaimed the man on the right fist

_They both jumped down from their spot, and I could immediately tell that they were wearing outfits similar to each other's, but the color scheme was different as one of the guys was wearing white and the other was wearing yellow._

"Very suspicious. I, Koganehiko…" The guy wearing yellow started

"And I, Shiroganehiko…" The guy wearing white started

"Cannot allow you passage inside this building." They both said in unison

_This is so not good._

"Be gone!" exclaimed Shiroganehiko

"Or advance, and be killed now for your insolence." Said Koganehiko

"Crap. More gatekeepers. This Soul Society is just one annoyance after another." Said Ichigo

_Yoruichi then seemed to peek out from behind Ichigo, and the guards immediately recognized him._

"Master Yoruichi!" Both guards exclaimed in unison

_Okay, question and answer time will have to come after Koganehiko takes us to Kukaku while Shiroganehiko keeps guard of the house from the outside._

"A descending staircase right from the front door? Now that's just weird." Said Uryu

"Kinda makes you wonder how they get to the upstairs, huh?" asked Orihime

"A thousand apologies Master Yoruichi for not recognizing right away that it was you. We have no idea these trespassers were your servants." Said Koganehiko

_Servants? Really? Does the Soul Society have a system of nobility and royalty or something?_

"It's my fault. I should've sent word ahead that my companions and I were on our way here." Said Yoruichi

"Ha-ha! You're too kind. Such generous words from such a great person. Please wait here while I announce your arrival. Uh, master. We have visitors. Now, please enter." Koganehiko said before opening the door

_On the other side of the room, a woman with black hair, blue eyes, a prosthetic arm, bandages over her head, and a tattoo on her arm was sitting down. Her outfit, well… I'll just say that it's something that I would never wear in a million years._

"Well, it's been a long time, hasn't it, Yoruichi?" asked Kukaku

"Ku-Kukaku's…" started Ichigo

"A woman?!" Uryu, Sado, and Orihime exclaimed in unison

"I knew it. I win our bet Uryu. You know what that means." I said

"Yeah. I know." Uryu said while sulking

"Most of you assumed that Kukaku was a man, but I never told you that." Yoruichi said while turning his head towards our direction

"Hmm? What's this? You seemed to have brought along a bunch of brats along with you." Said Kukaku

"I shall explain that. First though, I have a favor to ask of you, Kukaku." Said Yoruichi

"That is usually the case when you look me up Yoruichi. Is it dangerous?" asked Kukaku

"Probably." Said Yoruichi

"Hmph. It's been a long time since we talked like this. Well, well my friend. Lucky for you, I enjoy danger." Said Kukaku

_Yoruichi spent the next few minutes explaining to Kukaku our predicament._

"Alright, I think I get the picture." Said Kukaku

_She was smoking an old-fashioned smoking pipe. At least it was tobacco leaves. Still, I can't stand the smell of cigarette smoke, let alone tobacco._

"Ah, what the hell, I'll take the job." Said Kukaku

"Excellent." Said Yoruichi

"I have some reservations, but with Urahara involved, how could I say no? However, while I trust you completely Yoruichi, I do not trust these kids accompanying you, so I'm gonna send an overseer with you just to keep an eye on them for me." Said Kukaku

"Overseer?" asked Ichigo

"Yeah. Well, I call him that, but he's actually my kid brother. He's still kind of a doofus, and not all that useful, but, he'll have to do. Hey in there. Are you ready?" asked Kukaku

"Yeah sis. I'm ready." A male voice said

_Weird. Why does that voice sound familiar?_

"Alright, I'm opening the door, so behave yourself." Said Kukaku

"Okay. I promise." The guy on the other side groaned

_Well, the guy's a noble, seeing his attire._

"It's an honor to meet you. My name is Ganju Shiba, and I'm pleased to be of service." Said Ganju

_What the…?! It's the boar-riding jerk from yesterday! As if both Ganju and Ichigo decided to have a screaming contest, they suddenly stood up and pointed fingers at each other while letting out a yell._

"You two already know each other?" Kukaku asked in surprise

"It's a long story." I said as I dead-panned

_And I was only watching as Ichigo and Ganju were duking it out. As much as I wanted to see Ganju's behind handed to him, personal matters can wait. I noticed that either Kukaku had either dropped her pipe, or Ganju stepped on it. Either way, she looked mad._

"Why you little…" started Kukaku

_A sudden burst of energy flowed throughout the room and only one word crossed my mind: run. The others got the same idea, and we ran out of the house! As soon as we did, the house tipped to the left, and the arms tipped inwards. In other words, the place was wrecked._

"Did she have to wreck the place just to stop them?" Uryu asked with a scared look on his face

"At least we know now why this lady has to change houses so often." Sado said with the same look on Uryu's face

"Extreme makeover!" Orihime exclaimed with the same look on the boy's faces

"Don't even get started with that." I said with the same look on everyone else's faces

_We snuck back inside the house to see Kukaku beating the daylights out of Ganju. As much as I wanted to hear her berate him, all I heard was my heart hammering in my chest._

"You got something to say?" Kukaku said in a pissed off tone

"Uh, no. Nothing at all." We said terrified

_They're brother and sister alright. They share the same temper. As if Ichigo was scared for his life, he started shaking on the ground before Kukaku picked him up like he was a rag doll!_

"Listen you idiot. You're in my house now. If you don't like the way I do things here, then get the hell out. Any questions? Nope. No punches. Fine with it." Ichigo said in a small voice while sweating up a storm

"Okay then. I'm glad you understand." Said Kukaku

_Ichigo then wormed his way closer to Ganju. I bet he was saying that Kukaku's a piece of work._

"Alright! Everyone on their feet!" exclaimed Kukaku

_That did the trick._

"Koganehiko. You and Shiroganehiko begin preparations outside." Said Kukaku

"Understood." Koganehiko said while saluting

"The rest of you, gather up your crap and follow me." Said Kukaku

_Not wanting to end up like Ganju and Ichigo did, we had no choice but to follow her._

"How can it be so bright down here? I didn't notice any generators anywhere." Said Uryu

"Lots of firefly creeper vines. I keep them growing along the walls and on the ceiling." Said Kukaku

"Don't think I've ever heard of that. Is that some kind of plant that only grows here in the Soul Society?" asked Uryu

_Instead of answering Uryu's question, we found ourselves in front of a door with red writing._

"Alright then. Here we are." Said Kukaku

"Hey." Said Uryu

"Open the door, Ganju." Said Kukaku

"Yes sir!" Ganju exclaimed in fright

_He quickly began walking over to the door_

"I said…" started Uryu

_Ichigo clamped a hand over his mouth and dragged him to the floor. If Ichigo's scared of her, now I have even more of a reason to be scared of her myself! Ganju soon opened the door, and well, I found myself staring at the base of the chimney._

"Whoa." Said Orihime

"But… what is that thing?" I asked

"It's huge." Said Uryu

"You can quit worrying about getting through the wall. With this launcher, I'll get you all into the Sereitei through the air." Said Kukaku

"Through the air?!" Ichigo, Uryu, and I exclaimed in unison

"Or my name's not Kukaku Shiba, fireworks expert of the Rukon District!" exclaimed Kukaku

_Kukaku's… a fireworks expert?!_

_**Oh, I'm cruel, aren't I, to leave off on a cliffhanger. Well, it's been a busy life for me. Before I forget, check out my boyfriend, Detriod434's page. You'll like what you see. I promise. Until then, please review, and until next time, I'm sakuraphoenix, saying I heart you, signing off for now. Kan dao ni!**_


	22. Breakthrough

Chapter 22: Breakthrough

_**Hey everyone! It's me, sakuraphoenix, and I'm back with a new chapter! I know, I'm really late with the update. I've been busy like hell. I'd tell ya, but I'll just hit the disclaimer.**_

_**Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach. I also do not own Shizuku. He belongs to Lyokowarrior1994.**_

_**Enjoy!**_

"But… what is that thing?" asked Ichigo

"It's huge." Said Uryu

"You can quit worrying about getting through the wall. With this launcher, I'll get you all into the Sereitei through the air." Said Kukaku

"The air?!" Uryu, Ichigo, and I exclaimed in unison with a deadpanned look on our faces

"Or my name's not Kukaku Shiba, fireworks expert of the Rukon District!" Kukaku exclaimed as she stood on the platform of the launcher

"Fireworks?" asked Ichigo

"That's right. Koganehiko! Shiroganehiko! Raise it up, now!" exclaimed Kukaku

_And just like that, the ground began to tremble! Is it some kind of earthquake?_

"Hey! What's going on?" asked Ichigo

"I don't understand this!" exclaimed Orihime

"It's the floor! It's… its going up!" exclaimed Uryu

_Like some kind of messed-up elevator. Soon enough, I saw sunlight. Wait? Is it just me, or is the ceiling opening up?_

"Look, the celling is opening up." Uryu said as we all looked up

"Is this for real?" asked Ichigo

_I wanna say no, but I'd be lying._

"So, did that scare you kids? This is my one and only enhanced fireworks launch pad." Said Kukaku

"And that's the Flower Crane Cannon!" Ganju exclaimed before Kukaku kicked him from behind with a ticked off look on her face

"That was my line." Said Kukaku

"Ugh. Sorry." Ganju said as his back was literally smoking

"Huh? Left you all speechless, didn't I?" asked Kukaku

"*sigh* I know that you're supposed to be a pyrotechnical wizard, but I'm still not fully convinced of it. The idea of shooting us up in the air is completely…" Uryu started before Kukaku threw some kind of bowling ball at his face, which I managed to catch

"What's that?" asked Ichigo

"It's a Reishukaku, or spirit core. Place your palms on it, and concentrate your spirit energy." Said Kukaku

_I took a deep breath as I closed my eyes in focus and sensed my spirit energy before I imagined that the orb was an extension of myself and poured spirit energy into it before I opened my eyes and saw that I created an orb around me. When I willed the orb around me to vanish, Ichigo took the orb out of my hands. Rude much?_

"Like this?" asked Ichigo

_He had his concentration face on, but he was a no-go on this one._

"Can someone show me how to concentrate my spirit energy?" asked Ichigo

"Huh? Any Soul Reaper should easily be able to do that. So you should know how to use your spirit energy to do this." Kukaku said as she created a glowing blue ball

"Well, actually, he's the substitute Soul Reaper I was telling you about earlier. Karen is as well, but she has more control over her spirit energy. Ichigo on the other hand can't use spirit energy at all." Said Yoruichi

"Yeah, I can see that." Said Kukaku

_And he was still having trouble with that orb. I bet he's calling it a stupid orb by now._

"*sigh* This kid is completely hopeless. Ganju, show this amateur how it's done." Said Kukaku

"Hey, give it here!" Ganju exclaimed while trying to grab the orb from Ichigo

_I don't know if they were playing a game, or Ichigo was stopping him on purpose._

"Why you… so kid, you wanna play for it?" asked Ganju

"Yeah. Go on and take it if you can, but I for one would rather die right here than to learn it from you." Ichigo said while patting the orb

_I was about to punch them both when Kukaku beat me to it._

"Stop this right now. Both of you." Kukaku said while glaring at them

"I'm sorry." Ichigo and Ganju said in unison

_Ganju focused his spirit energy into the orb and created the same orb I was just in._

"Whoa! He did the same thing you did Karen! Just what is it?" asked Ichigo

_Kukaku knocked on it, and it made a sound, like it was hollow._

"This here is the cannonball." Said Kukaku

"Cannonball?" asked Uryu

"Now pay close attention everyone. You may think that the only thing guarding the Sereitei is that barrier, but you are dead wrong. It isn't nearly that simple. That barrier is made from a special stone known as Sekkiseki. It's rare, even in the Soul Society. This is a fragment of it." Said Kukaku

_She had set the fragment on the ground and punched a crater, but the area where the rock was had withstood her blow. What does that rock do?_

"As you can see, it completely repels spirit energy. Therefore, it's impossible to smash through the barrier with spirit energy alone. Even cut into a small piece such as this, it emits a wave that breaks down spirit energy from all sides. Which means, that the Sereitei has a spherical barrier that surrounds them, protecting them not only from the sky above, but even below the ground. So you see, that's why we use this." Kukaku said while hitting the sphere again

_And Ganju's not looking so hot._

"Enough show and tell. I'm tired." Said Ganju

"Suck it up! This cannonball is a special hard spiritual partition device I invented. In other words, if all four of you combined, put your spirit energy into this Reishukaku, you can create a temporary cannonball that can break through the barrier. Then I'll use the Flower Crane Cannon to shoot that cannonball into the sky, and it'll punch a hole straight through the barrier. Any questions?" asked Kukaku

"Eh, well, uh…" started Ichigo

"Alright then. Now take them to the underground training room so that they can practice concentrating their spirit energy, all except for you purple head." Kukaku said while pointing at me

_And Koganehiko and Shiroganehiko were back._

"Get them out of here." Said Kukaku

_Immediately, Koganehiko and Shiroganehiko picked up Uryu, Orihime, and Ichigo. I guess Chad's too big for them._

"Listen you guys. If any one of you loses concentration, then you'll blow up on the spot. Practice hard." Said Kukaku

"Hey! You never mentioned that!" exclaimed Ichigo

"I bet it's gonna take him until nightfall to learn how to use that sphere." I said

_We both then heard a crash, and saw an exhausted Ganju with the orb next to him._

"Oh yeah, thank you." Said Kukaku

"You're welcome." An exhausted Ganju said

"Now, get your ass down there and help them practice." Said Kukaku

"I guess that applies to me as well." I said

"Actually, I'll need some help to prepare the cannon. That's where you come in. That's why I told you to stay behind." Said Kukaku

"Oh…" I said while trailing off

"But sis… are you seriously gonna help them?" asked Ganju

"What are you talking about?" asked Kukaku

"I'm against it. Helping a Soul Reaper is something we shouldn't do. Let alone two! I mean, think! After what happened to our brother. Listen sis, I…" started Ganju

"Ganju. What did I tell you? Didn't I say you were never to speak of this again?" asked Kukaku

"But sis…" started Ganju

"You have your orders. Now go. Listen, you must never show such a weak face in front of them. Understand?" asked Kukaku

_Ganju said nothing before running back to the house. Kukaku then had a funny look on her face as she turned to look at me._

"I would ask what he was talking about, but if it's uncomfortable to talk about, I won't ask, despite my curiosity on the matter. I don't like sticking my nose into other people's business unless they stick their nose in mine. That's just how it is to me." I said

"Heh. You sound like an old friend of mine. She was always willing to risk her neck helping me, Yoruichi, and Kisuke out when we needed it. She died a long time ago. I just hope she doesn't have any regrets wherever she is. Anyways, here." Kukaku said while handing me a feather duster

"What's this for?" I asked

"You're going to have to clean this thing top to bottom since it hasn't been used in a long time. Any questions?" Kukaku asked while glaring at me

"Nope. None." I said while shaking

"Good." Kukaku said before walking away

"I better get started somewhere." I said while finding my way into the cannon

_Just as I started from the top, I lost my footing and fell onto my stomach. Man, that's gonna leave a mark in the morning. After a whole day of working inside this thing, I was lying down on my back starfish style, exhausted from all the work I did when Kukaku showed up with two trays. Wait, trays?_

"You probably didn't have anything to eat in the Rukon District, since those guys don't know how to use spirit energy. As a result, they're not hungry." Said Kukaku

"Thanks, but you didn't have to bring the food all the way out here." I said

"I don't mind. After I saw how hard you worked inside the cannon, I saw how determined you were to help out that friend of yours." Said Kukaku

"You could tell just by watching me clean?" I asked

"Yeah. So, tell me, the guy you came here to talk to. Shizuku was it?" asked Kukaku

"Yeah. What about him?" I asked

"He's part of the Shiba clan, but he's more like a distant cousin to me. Truth is, whenever he was hurt when he was a kid, he'd always hide behind a cold icy exterior, while on the inside he would hide his pain. Whenever he felt like he was alone, he'd let his frustration out through emotion. I'm pretty sure that's what's going on with him right now. Just from seeing you." Said Kukaku

"You think so?" I asked

"I know so. Now hurry up and eat. Otherwise, your food's gonna get cold." Said Kukaku

_I nodded my head as I ate my food. Just as I finished, there was some kind of weird earthquake! And this time, it wasn't from the cannon. Kukaku quickly sped off to the house, and I followed after her. Just as we reached the practice room, we saw Ganju just looking dumbstruck._

"What the hell's going on? Ganju, I'm talking to you." Said Kukaku

"Sis, I'm so sorry." Said Ganju

"Huh?" asked Kukaku

"It's just that I only showed him once. I never thought it would turn out like this. His spirit energy is strong, but he's out of control." Said Ganju

_Kukaku looked shocked before she opened the door to the practice room, and we all saw Ichigo in this huge sphere! The worse part? It was still growing!_

"You stupid idiot. Concentrate your spirit energy!" exclaimed Kukaku

_Soon enough, the sphere solidified and grew smaller to fit Ichigo. Well, I won the bet. He did it by nightfall, not that Kukaku and I placed any bets._

"I did it!" exclaimed Ichigo

"Great! You did it Ichigo!" exclaimed Orihime

"Yeah." Said Ichigo

_And he lost his concentration. Oh boy. This is gonna be bad!_

"You ignorant dumbass! You gotta stay focused!" exclaimed Kukaku

_He looked confused, then the sphere shattered, and then Kukaku pummeled him into the ground._

"What are you? Freakin' deaf or freakin' stupid?! Remember? I told you if you don't concentrate, you're gonna blow up." Kukaku said while having her foot on Ichigo's head

"Yes. Yes, you did." Said Ichigo

"Next time, just be sure not to do this." Ganju said as he was picking his nose

_I bet he didn't see me or Kukaku punch him in the face simultaneously._

"You're as guilty as he is schmuck. Both of you. No food tonight." Said Kukaku

"But why?" asked Ichigo

"Come on! You can't lump me together with him!" exclaimed Ganju

"Shut up!" Kukaku exclaimed before she threw them both to the floor before saying:

"Any more complaints?"

"Okay. We understand." Ichigo and Ganju said in unison

_The next morning, Shizuku's P.O.V._

_I woke up in my quarters feeling tearstains across my cheek. I just can't get it out of my head. The look on Karen's face after I lied, saying that what I felt for her was an illusion. I know she'd never forgive me. I bet that she's gone back to the world of the living. I'm just a terrible person. Just as I put on my Shihakusho, the alarm sounded._

"Red alert. Red alert. Intruders detected in the Sereitei. All squads get into position. Repeat. Red alert. Red alert. Intruders in the Sereitei. All squads get into position." One of the people in charge of the alarm said

"It can't be… Karen? You'd really risk your life to find me? Or is it revenge?" I wondered out loud

_**Done and done! I'm cruel, aren't I? Well, I'm finally done with this chapter! Please review, check out my boyfriend, Detroid434's page while voting on his poll, and until next time, I'm sakuraphoenix, saying I heart you, signing off for now. Kan dao ni!**_


	23. Shooting for the Sereitei

Chapter 23: Shooting For the Sereitei

_**sakuraphoenix: Hey everyone! It's me, sakuraphoenix, and I'm finally back!**_

_**Detroid: Don't count me out my cute Fennekin! Detroid434 helping out as well! Well, it's getting close to college for some people and as for me. You can guess that I'm trying to get into the same college as my girlfriend.**_

_**sakuraphoenix: Yeah, that's why I've been slacking lately. Yep, that's my excuse, though it's more truth, less excuse if you ask me**_

_**Detroid: True, but at least we're getting back to working on fanfics together**_

_**sakuraphoenix: Let's hope we can keep that up for the time being**_

_**Detroid: Yeah! But don't give up, or else**_

_**sakuraphoenix: Did I sound like I was giving up?**_

_**Detroid: I can't tease you my cute Mew?**_

_**sakuraphoenix: Aw *blushes* well, I think we should move onto the disclaimer before we get sidetracked**_

_**Detroid: Right! Anyway, let's get going with it**_

_**sakuraphoenix: yep!**_

_**Disclaimer: We do not own Bleach, period, so stop asking!**_

_**Detroid: My girlfriend does, however, own her OC, Karen**_

_**sakuraphoenix: and our friend Lyokowarrior1994 owns his OC, Shizuku, who's unfortunately not showing up in this chapter.**_

_**Detroid: And a special OC I own who won't have much effect in this chapter but will later in a different arc of Bleach but I won't spoil about her, yet.**_

_**sakuraphoenix: true, but she's not showing up today, is she?**_

_**Detroid: Yeah**_

_**sakuraphoenix: Well, looks like we've run out of time, so enjoy!**_

_Can someone around here say earthquake?! Or better, what the hell is Ichigo doing?!_

"What the hell's going on? Ganju, I'm talking to you." Said Kukaku

"Sis, I'm so sorry." Said Ganju

"Huh?" asked Kukaku

"It's just that I only showed him once. I never thought it would turn out like this. His spirit energy is strong, but he's out of control." Said Ganju

_Kukaku looked shocked before she opened the door to the practice room, and we all saw Ichigo in this huge sphere! The worse part? It was still growing!_

"You stupid idiot. Concentrate your spirit energy!" exclaimed Kukaku

_Soon enough, the sphere solidified and grew smaller to fit Ichigo. Well, I won the bet. He did it by nightfall, not that Kukaku and I placed any bets._

"I did it!" exclaimed Ichigo

"Great! You did it Ichigo!" exclaimed Orihime

"Yeah." Said Ichigo

_And he lost his concentration. Oh boy. This is gonna be bad!_

"You ignorant dumbass! You gotta stay focused!" exclaimed Kukaku

_He looked confused, then the sphere shattered, and then Kukaku pummeled him into the ground._

"What are you? Freakin' deaf or freakin' stupid?! Remember? I told you if you don't concentrate, you're gonna blow up." Kukaku said while having her foot on Ichigo's head

"Yes. Yes, you did." Said Ichigo

"Next time, just be sure not to do this." Ganju said as he was picking his nose

_I bet he didn't see me or Kukaku punch him in the face simultaneously._

"You're as guilty as he is schmuck." Said Kukaku

"Aw, why do you always have to treat me the same as him? After all, I'm your brother." Complained Ganju

"Quit your whining!" exclaimed Kukaku

_Yep. They're brother and sister alright. Kinda makes me glad that I don't have any siblings. Unfortunately, the only thing I have close to that are Umi and Tsubomi, my crazy cousins. Well, Umi's the only crazy one in my books. Every time she sees me, she just wants to bear hug me like she's never gonna see me again. Tsubomi's more on the calm side, which I am grateful for, but Umi well… she certainly lives up to her namesake, since her name means 'sea'._

"Yoruichi. You're back." Said Orihime

"So, our Ichigo has finally succeeded in forming a cannonball, has he?" Yoruichi asked as he approached a now-sleeping Ichigo

"Hmm? What's wrong?" asked Ganju

"Hmph. Nothing's wrong with him. He's just sleeping it off. I need the rest of you to go and sit over there. We haven't got much time before we begin our mission. I'm going to tell you now what you can expect once we're inside the Sereitei, and you must remember… MROW!" Yoruichi exclaimed in pain

_That's not good! Ichigo, you idiot! As if everyone had the same idea, we all began pulling Yoruichi out of his grip, but unfortunately, we made his tail look like a crazy straw or a staircase. Poor Yoruichi._

_Later…_

_We were all gathered at the base of the Flower Crane Cannon. I just hope that this would be a smooth ride. At least Strawberry was finally awake._

"Very well. Are we all here now?" asked Yoruichi

"Yes sir." All five of us said in unison

"Hmm? What happened to your tail Yoruichi? It looks like one of those flexible toothbrushes." Said Ichigo

_Oh no!_

"What do you mean? Is there something wrong with it?" Yoruichi asked with a red angry aura surrounding him

"Uh… uh, no. Nothing. It's a perfectly wonderful, beautiful tail." Ichigo said with a pale look on his face

"Don't you remember that you were the one who did that?" I whispered in a low tone

"Huh? I did?" Ichigo asked in a confused tone

"After you created that cannonball, you fell asleep and grabbed Mr. Yoruichi's tail. It took the four of us to get you to let go, and by then it was too late." Uryu said while Yoruichi wasn't very happy about it.

"My tail. My pride and joy. Ruined." Sobbed Yoruichi

"I highly recommend avoiding that subject from now on." Said Uryu

"Yeah. Got it." Ichigo said while sweat-dropping

"Hey, wait. Why isn't Ganju here with the rest of you?" asked Kukaku

"Hmm? Last time I saw him, he was downstairs muttering some nonsense to himself." Said Ichigo

"Never fear! Ganju is here!" exclaimed Ganju

_Okay, what do I see in this picture? An open scroll, Ganju's new clothes, and that he was seriously out of breath._

"You should know, the hero is always the last one to make his entrance." Said Ganju

"Okay? But what's with that outfit?" asked Ichigo

"Heh-heh. You like it, eh? This is my custom battle costume. It's pretty sweet, right? Save your breath because I'm not lending to you or your curly-haired friend, so don't even ask." Said Ganju

"Oh, I'm crushed to hear that." Ichigo said with sarcasm laced in his voice

_Hang on a sec, why do I get a feeling there's something pig boy here isn't telling us?_

"Hey wait, what battle?! You're not coming!" exclaimed Ichigo

"Hate to break it to you captain short-sighted, but he kinda does." I said

"What do you mean?" asked Ichigo

_Instead of letting me answer, Ganju growled before walking over to Ichigo and staring at him in the face before glaring at me._

"My big brother was killed by a Soul Reaper!" exclaimed Ganju

_Whoa. Talk about total shock moment._

"Ganju, don't you dare." Said Kukaku

"Why don't you listen and let me talk for a change, sister?" asked Ganju

"Huh?" wondered Kukaku

"My brother… he was a brilliant man. He passed the Soul Reaper Academy entrance exam on his first try. At that time, his spiritual power was at 6th class. That's the same level as a lieutenant of the thirteen court guard squads. Then, he finished a six-year curriculum in one year, and he became a member of a squad. In just five years, he became a lieutenant, but he was betrayed by his comrades. His own Soul Reaper allies lead him to his grave. I was still just a kid back then, so I don't remember all the details of what happened, but there are two things I'll never forget. Faces, those two faces. The cruel face of that Soul Reaper as he dragged my brother's mangled body back home, and the face of my dear kind brother, happily giving thanks to that same Soul Reaper. Why did he do that? Why would my brother be so forgiving? To this day, I just don't know. But there's one thing I do know for certain. Somehow my brother never blamed the Soul Reapers, and he never hated them. But how?! Why didn't he hate the fiends who completely destroyed him?! Why did he continue believing in them to the bitter end?!" exclaimed Ganju

_He then grabbed us by the collar of our outfits, and dragged us so close to his face and it was close enough to the point where I could've sworn his breath smelled like fish!_

"Somehow, you two seem different than the other Soul Reapers. It was what you said when you had trouble with that cannonball technique dandelion head. As for curly hair, he told me about what happened to your parents and your sight as well. With everything you two experienced, that's what I think. I think that's what makes you two different, and I think if I go with you, I might discover something important. That's why I've decided I'm going to help you. I'm willing to go along with you into the heart of enemy territory and try to learn what being a Soul Reaper really means." Said Ganju

"Oh, Ganju…" Orihime trailed off

"Our Ganju…" Koganehiko said while crying

"Such a fine man you've become." Shiroganehiko said while crying

"Heh, well it sounds like you've got your mind up about this." Said Kukaku

_I was just as surprised as the next person was when Ichigo grabbed Ganju by the shirt before saying:_

"You and me then." Said Ichigo

"You and me." Ganju agreed

"Alright then, are you all ready for the cannonball?" asked Yoruichi

"Yes." We all said in unison

"Hey, I just thought of something. Do you know how to make a cannonball?" Ichigo asked Yoruichi

"Actually, that's a good question. I guess I ought to give it a try." Said Yoruichi

_Oh come on! If this is Yoruichi's first attempt, I'm gonna pull his tail off!_

"Don't tell me this is your first attempt." Said Uryu

"For once, I think we agree Uryu." I said

"Put that down on the floor Ichigo." Said Yoruichi

_Once he did, Yoruichi jumped onto the ball, and voila, here's the cannonball._

"Hmm, just as I suspected. The task was as natural as breathing in and out." Said Yoruichi

"Wow Yoruichi! In one try you did something that took us forever to learn!" exclaimed Orihime

"What about me then? It took me one try too, remember?" I asked Orihime

"Oh yeah, that's right. I guess I forgot." Said Orihime

_And cue the anime fall for me._

"I can see it bothers you, but I don't know why you find it so surprising. You'll learn that there are many things that I can do that are far beyond your reach." Said Yoruichi

"Hey, Ganju. Were you able to master it as well?" asked Kukaku

"I think so." Said Ganju

"Then we'll use Flower Crane Cannon launch method number 2. Alright?" asked Kukaku

"Very well." Said Ganju

"You better not chicken out and run away in the middle of the launch, you little brat." Said Kukaku

"I would never do that." Said Ganju

"Not afraid to lay your life on the line?" asked Kukaku

"No! No way!" exclaimed Ganju

"If you're all ready to go, then the final countdown begins now!" exclaimed Kukaku

_She slammed on the tube-like thing, and it opened up._

"Get inside everyone!" exclaimed Kukaku

_And we were inside the tube. I just hope this works._

"The sun will be rising soon. That will be the signal to begin the launch ceremony." Said Kukaku

"Now listen, once we're inside the Sereitei, it's important that we stick together. If you should encounter any captains, don't fight them. Don't even think about it. Just run. Our goal is to save Rukia, do you understand? You must avoid taking any unnecessary risks." Said Yoruichi

_I closed my eyes as I centered my thoughts, and I could've sworn I heard Kukaku say something outside._

"Now is has begun! Pour your spirit energies into the center!" Yoruichi exclaimed as we all began pouring our energies into the center of the orb and created the cannonball

_I suppose this would be a late time to mention my fear of heights!_

"Somehow, I thought blast off would be more explosive." Said Ichigo

"That was only the start, you simpleton." Said Ganju

_Oh come on! A roller coaster now?! I hate fast things! And just as we gained speed, Ganju pulled out some kind of paper from his outfit._

"What is that thing?" asked Ichigo

"These are the directions for the next stage of the launch. The first stage of Flower Crane Cannon number two was just the blast off itself with the initial directional setting. Now we go to the secondary spell, which controls acceleration and axis adjustment. This'll help with the precision guidance. Right, so stay out of my way if you wanna land safely." Said Ganju

"Alright, I will." Said Ichigo

"Now there's just one more thing I have to explain to you all. In order to enter the Sereitei successfully, we have to stabilize this cannonball. That requires keeping the spirit energy output from each one of us at a constant level, and to do that, keep your hands on the crystal in the center so you'll be able to see how much energy the others are releasing, and simply adjust your energy release accordingly. One mistake, and that's it. We'll all die." Said Ganju

"Mm-hmm." Said Sado

"I understand." Said Uryu

"I got it." Said Orihime

"Yep." I said

"Mmm…" Ichigo trailed off

"Now Flower Crane Cannon number 2 begins!" exclaimed Ganju

_As Ganju was chanting, I was trying to keep my spiritual energy on the same level as the others, but Ichigo was a completely different story._

"Ichigo, I think you're releasing too much energy." Said Orihime

"You really think I am? Alright, I'll back off." Said Ichigo

"Ichigo, you've gotta lower it a little bit more." Said Uryu

"What? Are you kidding me? But I already lowered my output by almost half." Said Ichigo

"Ichigo." Said Sado

"Alright, alright! I'm working on it!" exclaimed Ichigo

"Would you shut up?! You and your big mouth made me repeat the same line twice!" exclaimed Ganju

"Don't blame me just because you can't remember your stupid little chant!" exclaimed Ichigo

"That 'stupid little chant' might just save your precious life if you could just shut your big yap!" Ganju exclaimed before the two of them started banging foreheads

"Cut it out! Both of you! We can't argue at a time like this! We're in big danger here!" I exclaimed

"She's right. Stop this. You're going to upset the balance of the spirit energy." Said Uryu

"Hey look, what's that?" Sado asked as he looked behind him

_We all looked, and it was the Sereitei!_

"It's the Sereitei." Said Ganju

_And we're not going to make it, are we?_

"We're going to crash!" exclaimed Uryu

"The only way to survive this is for you to pour in all the spirit energy you've got!" exclaimed Yoruichi

_Didn't need to tell us twice! We poured in everything we had, and the Sereitei's membrane kept us in the air_

"Push through!" exclaimed Ichigo

_But once we did, we were in mid-air, but this wasn't good by a long shot. Why? We were floating for no reason._

"What's going on? We blasted through the shield, but we're not falling to the ground. We're just floating here!" exclaimed Ichigo

"Don't get separated! The cannonball was destroyed by the shield, but its residual energy will still hold us up until it dissolves." Said Yoruichi

"And what happens then?" asked Uryu

"It will coalesce into a whirlpool, and then vanish. We must stick together because anyone who gets separated will get blown away by the explosion!" exclaimed Yoruichi

_As if on cue, the whirlpool was starting up, and I was getting dizzy and sick._

"We're in the whirlpool!" exclaimed Yoruichi

"No! Not a chance! I'm not about to get blown away!" exclaimed Ganju

_And as usual, Ichigo and Ganju were fighting, again._

"Will you two cut it out already?! This is ridiculous!" exclaimed Uryu

"Grab the person closest to you and hold on tight! Then don't let go no matter what!" exclaimed Yoruichi

_Well, that was easier said than done. I would've been blown away if Uryu didn't grab my hand._

"Thanks Uryu. I owe you." I said

"Don't mention it." Said Uryu

_He tried to reach out to grab Chad's hand, but couldn't reach in time, and I was blown outside the same time Chad threw Uryu towards Orihime. I could only watch as the spirit energy split into five groups. Everyone… please be safe._

_**Detroid: See ya next time hope we all see ya soon for another season! Lol, Code Lyoko reference when I didn't mean to make one.**_

_**sakuraphoenix: You said it my adorable Raichu**_

_**Detroid: Aw *blushes* You're making me blush my cute Zorua, but anyway, I'm Detroid**_

_**sakuraphoenix: And I'm sakuraphoenix**_

_**Detroid: And we're both saying**_

_**sakuraphoenix: We heart you, signing off for now**_

_**Detroid: Bye!**_

_**sakuraphoenix: Zai jian!**_


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